an Eldis Resource

The links between biodiversity and the path to achieving the MDGs have not been made explicit, even though biodiversity plays an important role in ensuring that the targets of the MDGs for sustainable development are successfully achieved. This report provides an introduction to the benefits of biodiversity and the Millennium Development Goals, discusses the importance of biodiversity to development objectives in the context of the WEHAB Initiative and the Convention on Biological Diversity, and examines the role of biodiversity in achieving the targets of each of the MDGs (including poverty, gender and education, health, and environmental sustainability). The report also considers links between climate change, biodiversity and the MDGs.

Conclusions and recommendations for ways forward and future activities include:

• a specific inter-agency working group with a mandate to address synergies in action must be established and linkages to on-going ground work be developed
• countries should be encouraged to specifically design programmes on synergies as a part of their national strategy and action plan
• at the national level, the agencies coordinating implementation of the Conventions and Processes must establish a joint working group involving stakeholders and focal pints of the Convention to discuss options and actions
• at the local level, synergistic action should involve translating and scaling up local experiences into regional and national actions, development of replicatory models and influencing larger policy through action form the priorities
• capacity building and strengthening in the areas of human resources, infrastructure development, coordination and cooperation is urgently needed
• creation of a good information base with an implicit design for planning and monitoring is needed.

[adapted from author]

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