Delivering the Global Biodiversity Framework: Inland Water Global Restoration Targets for the next Decade

A post-2020 Global Framework for Biodiversity (GBF) has to be agreed upon by the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) at its next Conference of the Parties (COP15) in December 2022. Although accounting for a small fraction of global land area, the diversity of life sustained by wetlands and rivers is disproportionately high with approximately 40% of all known species living or breeding in inland waters. In the implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, inland water ecosystems have often been overlooked in the national targets reflected in the National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs). While biodiversity targets should be representative of the diversity of all natural ecosystems, the risk of overlooking the inland water ecosystems persists (in the post-2020 GBF), especially in Target 2 on restoration and Target 3 on conservation through protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures.

Ecosystem restoration will play a key role in reversing the loss and degradation of ecosystems. To achieve the overall goal of reversing biodiversity loss, it is crucial to highlight the role played by free-flowing rivers and natural inland waters in maintaining global processes which underpin biodiversity. Therefore, restoring river connectivity and inland waters means restoring the land-water continuum and the structural components of soil, plants and water and the natural processes that sustain life on earth.

By gathering international partners and interested Parties, the side event aims at presenting the rationale for adopting specific sub-targets for river and inland water restoration under Target 2 on Ecosystem Restoration of the post-2020 GBF. Examples of river and wetland restoration across the world will also be presented by Parties to illustrate how sound methods and protocols already enable mitigation of the major threats and enhance biodiversity recovery.

Programme

Moderator: James Dalton, Head Water and Land Management Team, IUCN

Opening remarks: Stuart Orr, Freshwater Practice Leader, WWF

Keynote Speech: Hon. Sandra Vilardy (Ms), Vice Minister of Biodiversity and Environment of Colombia

(i) The key role of inland water in post-2020 GBF

• Sakhile Silitshena Koketso, Head of Science, Policy and Governance, CBD Secretariat
• Michele Thieme, Deputy Director of Freshwater, WWF US
• Ritesh Kumar, Director Wetland International South Asia
• Tara Moberg, Global Freshwater Strategy Advisor, TNC

(ii) Successful restoration cases around the world

• Sunleang Srey, Deputy Director General, General Directorate of Natural Protected Area, Ministry of Environment, Cambodia
• Hu Yuanhui, Deputy Director General, Dept. International Cooperation, National Forestry and Grassland Administration, China (tbc)
• Bettina Hedden-Dunkhorst, Head of Division International Nature Conservation, Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, Germany
• Jaime Gonzalez, Coordinator of Wetlands and Coastal Marine Areas, National Commission of Natural Protected Areas, Mexico
• Julien Katchinoff, Water Team Lead, U.S. Department of State, USA
• Sandra Ponde, Senior Ecologist at Department of National Parks and Wildlife, Zambia

(iii) Conclusions