Southern African Development Community :: Biodiversity

Biological diversity also referred to as biodiversity is defined as the degree of variation of life forms within a given species, ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet.

Biodiversity is of fundamental importance to the functioning of all natural and human-engineered ecosystems, and by extension to the ecosystem services that nature provides to human society.

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The southern African region contains remarkable species richness and diversity. It hosts exceptional ecological processes.

South Africa ranks as the third most biologically-diverse country in the world, while in Madagascarthe endemic species richness relative to the land mass area is unparalleled.

Lakes Malawi and Tanganyika contain extremely high numbers of freshwater species while the Central Zambezian Miombo woodlands in Zambia and Tanzania are a centre of bird and butterfly diversity.

Mega fauna are abundant.

Over centuries, the people of Southern Africa have developed strategies for using, tending and caring for their biological resources for the benefit of their own and future generations. Unfortunately, the capacity of nature to maintain this biological wealth is rapidly diminishing due to habitat loss and degradation resulting from unsustainable development, driven by economic and social factors.

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Factors such as pollution, invasion by alien species, climate change, overharvesting of natural resources and a lack of recognition of indigenous knowledge and property rights add to national biodiversity strategy and action plan mauritius situation. Successful conservation and sustainable use of the biological resources of the region depends on trans-boundary cooperation between Member States and beyond. Over the past few years, there has been national biodiversity strategy and action plan mauritius loss of natural habitat, habitat fragmentation and degradation resulting decline and extinction of some species.

In order to ameliorate the decline in species diversity as well as the extinction of certain species and demonstrate commitment to reduce loss of biological diversity at international level, SADC Member States jam forex asia ratified a number of conventions that aim to facilitate the management of biodiversity.

These include amongst others the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, The Convention cash-wa kearney second edition International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora CITES and the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals.

At regional level, a stock market crash wikipedia of efforts are being undertaken to ensure a coordinated approach to the management of biological diversity.

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InSADC Ministers responsible for Environment approved a Regional Biodiversity Strategy. To emc stock options employee implementation of this Strategy, a Regional Biodiversity Action Plan is being finalised with technical and financial support from the CBD Secretariat, the International Union for the Conservation of Natural IUCNthe European Union EUThe German International Cooperation Agency GIZ and the United Nations Development Programme UNDP.

In addition, realising that Invasive Alien Species also contribute to the extinction of indigenous species, the SADC Secretariat facilitated the development of Regional Guidelines for the management of Invasive Alien Species. The guidelines were prepared by the Regional Biodiversity Programme that was supported by the Global Environmental Facility.

Some of these include the Transfrontier Conservation Areas TFCAs such as the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area KAZA and other TFCAs.

In addition, SADC Member States are required to meet annually to prepare regional common positions for the Conference of the Parties to the various Multilateral Environmental Agreements MEAs.

It is based on the fact that the state of the environment, including biodiversity, is a major determinant of the growth and development of the SADC region and impacts on the lives of its citizens. Regional Indicative Strategic Development Plan.

Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources.