In 2021, SwedBio and UNDP reaffirmed their long-standing cooperation for the BES-Net project with a renewed focus on harnessing indigenous and local knowledge (ILK) for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem management. SwedBio will contribute approximately SEK 2,300,000 (US$ 260,000) and will support BES-Net’s Phase II until 2024, complementing the programme’s existing support from the Government of Germany.
SwedBio, the programme for biodiversity and equitable development with nature at the Stockholm Resilience Centre, has been an active contributor to the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). It has historically been closely aligned with BES-Net’s own mandate, promoting the consideration of ILK into the IPBES’ global and thematic assessments, and the ecosystem assessments undertaken at the sub-global level.
BES-Net’s close and fruitful collaboration with SwedBio began in 2016 with the start of the first phase. SwedBio’s catalytic support to BES-Net was essential in realizing the project’s success in creating a conducive environment for dialogue, learning, collaboration and networking among scientists and other knowledge holders, policymakers and practitioners. More specifically, this support has been channelled towards BES-Net’s Trialogues and various online channels that have driven the conversation around biodiversity and ecosystem services.
With the start of Phase II of BES-Net in 2020, the project welcomed UNESCO as a new partner, leveraging the organization’s long-standing expertise in bringing together multiple evidence, including those from ILK holders to support decision-making. Many indigenous peoples and local communities, managing at least 8% of the world’s biodiversity, hold detailed and diverse knowledge of biodiversity and ecosystems. Indigenous peoples also own and/or manage at least 25% of the global land and approximately 35% of all the terrestrial areas with low human intervention. Therefore, they are key stakeholders, custodians and knowledge holders who should be engaged in efforts to conserve biodiversity and ecosystem services.
Specifically, SwedBio’s support to BES-Net II will be implemented by UNDP and UNESCO towards building a strong multiple evidence base in the national ecosystem assessment process in Cambodia, Malawi and Thailand. Some avenues of collaboration include, among others: awareness raising and advocacy on ILK; co-developing ILK assessment methods and approaches; engaging indigenous peoples and local communities to ensure transparency, full information and accountability in facilitating their knowledge contributions to the assessments; and mobilizing and supporting the braiding of ILK into the assessments.
The progressive impacts of these interventions will lead to more empowered ILK holders, increased participation of indigenous peoples and local communities, new understanding by scientists and decision-makers, increased awareness of stakeholders about the value of ILK and a stronger knowledge base, decision-making and capacity-building for biodiversity conservation.
Speaking of the partnership, Yuko Kurauchi, Policy Specialist at UNDP and Coordinator of BES-Net, said, “BES-Net will benefit tremendously from this continued partnership with SwedBio, a vital actor in the biodiversity and ecosystem services space. This renewed support will add significant value to how we frame and engage with multiple knowledge systems to inform robust policies and institutions for biodiversity conservation. BES-Net and SwedBio share a common vision to elevate indigenous and local voices in the corridors of power and ensure biodiversity conservation and ecosystem management is a fair, inclusive and sustainable endeavour in countries. We look forward to an impactful journey with SwedBio in the coming years.”
UNESCO’s Chief of Section on Local and Indigenous Knowledge, Nigel Crawhall, highlighted, “SwedBio enables dialogue. They bring not only financial support but also both wisdom and technical competence to the BES-Net process, which enhances the quality of the work we are doing. UNESCO is pleased to be part of this global innovation for sustainability, and we appreciate the values and thinking that SwedBio brings to the process. SwedBio is a partner that understands that this is about people, dialogue, diverse ways of knowing and how to catalyse that for the good of all, including the good of our planet.”
Credits:
1. Photo: ILRI/Stevie Mann, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons 2. Image courtesy of Luciana Busellato 3. Photo by edwardpye on Pixabay