Biological diversity and cultural diversity are interrelated and mutually reinforcing
The Joint Programme of Work on the links between biological and cultural diversity between UNESCO and the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity was adopted at COP 10 in Nagoya, Japan, (Decision X/20) as a "useful coordination mechanism to advance the implementation of the Convention and to deepen global awareness of the linkages between cultural and biological diversity".
This programme of work reminds us that biological diversity and cultural diversity are interrelated and mutually reinforcing. The renewal of this programme was adopted on Saturday 10 December 2022 in the plenary of the COP 15, and will be coordinated by UNESCO, CBD and IUCN.
Among the tasks adopted, this Joint Programme of Work will aim to develop a common strategy to halt the decline of the world's biological and cultural diversity; to continue efforts at the international level to operationalize existing indicators and relevant indicators developed within the post-2020 global biodiversity framework; to develop communication and education materials to raise awareness, in all spheres of society and sectors, about the links between biological, cultural and linguistic diversity.
In this sense, UNESCO will mobilize its networks of designated sites, its key programmes such as the Local and Indigenous Knowledge programme (LINKS), and its network of partners such as UNESCO Chairs and Associated Schools, relying on the holistic and intersectoral approach that the Organization carries in the field of conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.
Measuring is major challenge for the implementation and monitoring of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework particularly with regard to biological and cultural diversity. Supported by its Earth Network programme and its initial donor, Italy, UNESCO is creating the first interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral database that will visualize and value the rich contribution of its programs, conventions and sites to the international biodiversity agenda.
For example, a key indicator on the relationship between nature and culture could include the diversity of languages spoken within a region, including indigenous languages. Communities in the Átl'ka7tsem / Howe Sound Biosphere Reserve, Canada, speak a variety of languages including English, Chinese, Persian, German and Korean, as well as Skwxwú7mesh Snichim, the language of the Squamish Nation.
Read the full decision adopted by COP 15
The programme seeks to recognize and promote natural and cultural heritage and diversity as a pathway to the global biodiversity framework's vision of living in harmony with nature by 2050.
Message by Mr Xing Qu, UNESCO Deputy Director-General
Message in French and English on the linkages between Culture and Nature
The Kaya forests of coastal Kenya
The Kaya forests of coastal Kenya are sacred to local populations. When the Mijikenda make use of its natural resources, they weigh in the importance to preserve it, because their rituals, traditions and practices are intertwined with the existence of the forest. This symbiotic relationship, as well as its underpinning knowledge, is in danger. Due to pressure on land resources, urbanization and social transformations are driving away the forest's prime custodians, which is an existential threat to the area's natural and social fabric. The "Traditions and practices associated with the Kayas in the sacred forests of the Mijikenda" were inscribed in 2009 on the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding.
The Jungfrau-Aletsch World Heritage natural site
A World Heritage natural site, the Jungfrau-Aletsch area is the most glaciated part of the Swiss Alps. It contains Europe's largest glacier and a range of classic glacial features that has been immortalised in European artistic expressions, as well as hosting a unique way of living, strongly connected to the mountains and its biodiversity. Since 1980, 20 to 30% of the ice has melted, and if the trend continues, by 2050 75% of the glaciers in the Swiss Alps will have disappeared. This transformation has not only local repercussions in the traditional lifestyle and the economy (particularly tourism). Glacier melting in the Alps will affect important European rivers such as the Rhine, the Rhone or the Danube and thus pose a threat to Europe's freshwater supply.
The Mura-Drava-Danube Transboundary Biosphere Reserve
First of its kind for spanning 5 countries, the Mura-Drava-Danube Transboundary Biosphere Reserve reflects the will of its inhabitants to cooperate in the interests of the conservation of biodiversity and its sustainable use. Whereas it is Europe's largest and dynamic river ecosystem, the area has historically been subject to different and even conflicting management and land use practices (particularly for good part of the 20th century on times of the Iron Curtain). The 12-year process between a joint declaration between 5 environment ministers the designation was a breakthrough in itself; now the objective is to create a model of international cooperation of river basin management, while building bridges between people and nature.
The Arganeraie Biosphere Reserve in south-western Morocco
The Arganeraie Biosphere Reserve in south-western Morocco was designated a UNESCO in 1998. Today, the forest covers 800 km2 and the Argan tree (Argania spinosa) is the defining species of the eco-region on which over 1,200 other plant and animal species depend - including several that are endemic. The forest acts as a natural barrier against the advancement of the desert, preventing erosion and protecting water resources. For centuries, the oil of the Argan tree has been a mainstay of the Amazigh (Berber) people of the region. Since 1999, coinciding with its designation by UNESCO, the oil has met with increasing interest and appreciation in European and other high-value markets. Most of the seeds are harvested by women's Argan oil cooperatives, which ensure that the oil sold in national and international markets meets the required quality standards. They also help the local population benefit from related opportunities. In places where the cooperatives act for the people, communities have attained a higher level of socio-economic development and female empowerment.
The Tsá Tué Biosphere Reserve in Canada's Northwest territories
Located in Canada's Northwest Territories, the Tsá Tué Biosphere Reserve encompasses the last large pristine arctic lake. Boreal forest and taiga cover much of the watershed and form the habitat of wildlife including muskox, moose and caribou. The human residents of the site are the Sahtuto'ine, the 'Bear Lake People', the First Nation Dene community, which have always relied on their spiritual and cultural connection to the land and lake. The community established a Stewardship Committee in 2013 and led a designation process for Tsá Tué to be part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves. The designation was celebrated in 2016, and few months afterwards, the Canadian government granted Deline self-government administration. Tsá Tué is the first biosphere reserve in the world designed and managed by First Nations.
Five biosphere reserves in the north of Italy: the Po Delta, Appennino Tosco-Emiliano, the Ledro Alps and Judicaria, Sila and the Tuscan Islands.
The north of Italy is home to five biosphere reserves: the Po Delta, Appennino Tosco-Emiliano, the Ledro Alps and Judicaria, Sila and the Tuscan Islands. Between them they embody a wide variety of habitats, ranging from the wetlands of the Po Delta to the slopes and meadows of the Alps. The preservation of this landscape is paramount not only for local biodiversity, but also for gastronomic specialities that rely on locally grown ingredients. Both the ingredients, which include Parmigiano Reggiano, Parma Ham, unique kinds of risotto and many others, and the traditions involved in their preparation have brought communities together around the dinner table for centuries. In order to celebrate this unique ecological, social and cultural heritage, these five biosphere reserves created UPVIVIUM. This initiative awards producers, restaurant owners and food producers that keep traditional and sustainable practices alive, while offering some of the gastronomic delights for which Italy is renowned. UPVIVIUM also promotes products that are guaranteed 'Zero Km' (food produced, sold and eaten locally) and safeguards both bred and cultivated biodiversity.
