Private & state perspectives – OECM approaches, incentives, progress, governance and challenges
Session overview:
- Key objectives
- Learn from private actors on the incentives and approaches to OECMs
- Understand challenges and progress made with OECMs by state actors
- Discuss how communities or private land owners become recognised as contributing to biodiversity?
- Highlight whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches, and discuss how they can work together
Speakers
- Van Thi Hai Nguyen – Researcher, Wyss Academy for Nature at University of Bern, Switzerland. Her presentation can be found here.
- Mathias Brummer – Environmental Science Specialist, Xarxa per a la Conservació de la Natura, Spain.
- Francesc Giró – Environmental & ecotourism consultant, Private Nature Reserve owner, Spain.
- Tero Mustonen – President of Snowchange, Finland.
- Andrew Bell – Director of UNESCO Biosphere, North Devon, UK. His presentation can be found here.
- Ricardo Nogueira Martins – Director of the Protected Landscape of Sousa Superior, Portugal. His presentation can be found here.
- Christian Christodoulou-Davies – 30×30 and Nature Networks Project Manage, Scotland. Moderator.
- Eva Jaoune – Prod’houmie de Pêche from Marseille, France. Moderator.
Meeting Summary for Private & state perspectives – OECM approaches, incentives, progress, governance and challenges
Quick recap
Presented was the linkage between global and local in biodiversity governance, emphasising the importance of including local communities and indigenous people in conservation efforts. It also discussed the challenges and potential solutions for implementing the concept of OECMs in Spain, particularly in Catalonia, and the potential benefits of becoming recognized as an OECM. The conversation ended with discussions on the socio-historic context of Finland, the challenges and opportunities of community decision-making in managing protected areas, and the importance of community involvement in the creation and management of protected areas.
Next steps
- Mathias to continue working on developing incentives for land stewardship initiatives in Catalonia and Spain.
- Francesc to continue efforts in promoting eco-tourism, organic agriculture, and private nature reserves on family property.
- Andrew to continue working as an aggregator to help landowners form clusters for delivering ecosystem services at scale.
- Ricardo to continue implementing the 61 final action proposals from community input for the protected area management plan.
Summary
Global Biodiversity Governance and Network
Van presented the findings from the Wyss Academy for Nature at University of Bern on the CBD Action Agenda dataset. They specifically looked at the pledges and the networks that supported these pledges. Van highlighted that most of the commitments for biodiversity conservation and restoration come from the global north, with European countries leading the movement. However, Van noted that the roles of non-state actors, such as communities, indigenous people, and women, are largely absent in these actions, this is in contrast to Asia where she found the opposite. She also presented a model showing how different actors work together in the European context, with “citizens” mostly left out. Van’s research is one of the first to use quantitative data to visualize the structure of NGO pledges to the CBD and the networks behind them.
Inclusive Conservation and OECM Approaches
Olivier emphasised the importance of including local communities and indigenous people in conservation efforts, citing examples of successful resistance against the US military and NATO, who wanted to set up a military training camp in a Natura 2000 site, by local communities in Europe. He also highlighted the need for a holistic government-society approach to conservation.
Christian then introduced the panel on private state perspectives, OECM approaches, incentives, progress, governance, and challenges. The panelists discussed the role of NGOs in conservation, the potential for OECMs to recognize conservation efforts by small private landowners, and the need for clear definitions and criteria for OECMs.
OECMs Implementation in Catalonia
Mathias discussed the challenges and potential solutions for implementing the concept of OECMs in Spain, particularly in Catalonia. He highlighted the need for recognition and incentives for NGOs working to protect nature in local communities. Mathias also mentioned a report he made for the regional government of Catalonia, which is not yet on the political table. He expressed optimism about the ongoing work with the State Foundation to recognize OECMs nationally through regional registers. Mathias also mentioned that there are concerns about being on a register held by the government.
Private Land Conservation Challenges
Francesc, a conservation biologist with extensive experience in nature conservation, shared his vision for a new organization called Private Land Properties for Nature Conservation. He discussed the potential benefits of becoming recognized as an OECM, including access to funding, potential biodiversity credits, and recognition. However, he also highlighted the challenges of educating the public about the importance of private land conservation and the need for cooperation from local authorities. Francesc expressed a desire for a badge or logo to demonstrate the conservation efforts of private landowners, but acknowledged the risk of public misinterpretation. He concluded by emphasizing the need for more understanding and cooperation from local authorities to support their conservation initiatives.
Challenges in Conservation and Collaboration
Francesc discussed the challenges faced in conservation efforts, including a lack of interest and cooperation from technicians and a lack of directives from the Catalan government. He highlighted the need for restoration plans for endangered species and the importance of political engagement. Francesc also emphasized the need for knowledge sharing and collaboration, particularly through a new organization that could provide tax advantages and facilitate the exchange of management plans. He expressed concern about the loss of species due to climate change and severe droughts, despite efforts to maintain organic agriculture. Francesc concluded by suggesting that the integration of protective areas into their landscapes is crucial for effective conservation.
Food Security and Land Stewardship
Francesc discussed concerns about food security and the potential impact of a push for 30% land use on conservation and farming. He highlighted the challenges faced by small, organic farms in making a profit, despite the demand for high-quality, local produce. Francesc also mentioned the importance of integrating different governance systems, such as indigenous, local communities, private owners, and state, in land stewardship.
Finland’s Socio-Historic Context and Land Use
Tero discussed the socio-historic context of Finland, highlighting its transition from a controlled society to a more open one in the 1990s. He noted that the country’s land use and natural resources regimes are quite different, with 95% of deep forests being clear-cut after World War II. Tero also mentioned that his organization, Snowchange, is the only NGO operating in the peripheries and is the largest non-state restoration operator at 133 sites. He emphasized the need for reform and the importance of shared governance in protected areas. Tero also mentioned that Finland is facing economic challenges due to the collapse of its timber-based economy and the need for sustainable land use choices. He concluded by stating that the country’s strategic land use choices, such as hydropower, have been in place for over 100 years and are unlikely to change significantly.
Community Decision-Making in Protected Areas
Andrew discussed the challenges and opportunities of community decision-making in managing protected areas. He highlighted the successful collaboration with fishermen in North Devon, where they participated in the creation of the first marine protected area in the UK. Andrew also mentioned the potential for local, strong regional management of fisheries, but noted the challenges of balancing community needs with the common law right to fish. He also discussed the concept of ecosystem service markets and the creation of a natural capital market. Andrew acknowledged the difficulty of implementing shared governance between state and local communities, but pointed to the example of the 1st nations people in Southway Bicycle Reserve in the Northern Territories (Canda), who manage their territory without state intervention.
Community Involvement in Protected Areas
Ricardo, discussed the importance of community involvement in the creation and management of protected areas. He shared his experience in creating a protected area in his municipality, which involved a participatory process with the local community, including 186 contributions organized into 61 final actions. Ricardo emphasized the need for an overview of relevant European funds, exchange on best practices, and a clear establishment of the recognition and submission process for protected areas. He also expressed concern about the difference between the CBD concept and the European Commission’s approach to protected areas.