Maintaining cultural and biological diversity

Recognising links between culture and biodiversity
Improving understanding of interaction between cultural diversity and biodiversity

Description

Strategies to protect biodiversity must be premised on the interdependence among species, communities, habitats and natural cycles and undertaken from a holistic perspective, recognizing the limits of humankind's ability to manage complex ecological interrelationships and acknowledging the close links between biological and cultural diversity.

Benefits from conserving biodiversity go beyond material rewards. Through the use and appreciation of a country's biological diversity, a rich cultural and traditional knowledge and deep attachment to the country's natural heritage and beauty are developed amongst people.

A new field of research is forming which takes into account the link between cultural and environmental diversity, draws attention to the complex interdisciplinary dimension of knowledge and its different forms and methods. It is a dimension that overcomes the barriers and cultural hierarchies and contributes to the understanding of environmental relations and the role of humankind in the ecosystem.

Implementation

In the words of President Nelson Mandela, South Africa, "Each one of us is intimately attached to the soil of this beautiful country. Each time one of us touches the soil of this land, we feel a sense of personal renewal" Inauguration Speech, 12 May 1994.

Claim

There is increasing need to improve understanding of the interactions between human society and biodiversity, broadening understanding of the latter to cover cultural aspects in addition to the normally recognized components of ecological, organismal and genetic diversity. Whilst humans are now the dominant influence on biodiversity, their values, driving forces and measures taken towards cosnervation and sustainable use of biodiversity, vary greatly within and between cultures.