Call for abstracts for the World Biodiversity Forum 2024
Brombenzbrücke, Davos Monstein (Wikimedia Commons)
The AFL is welcomming your abstract to the session Gov_13.5
“Towards Global Policy Implementation for Freshwater Biodiversity”
The session will discuss the target of the Kunming-Montréal Global Biodiversity Framework to protecting and restoring 30% of areas and damaged ecosystems by 2030. Notably, this framework explicitly includes inland waters in several targets. The preservation of freshwater biodiversity is crucial for maintaining ecosystem stability, resilience, and the provision of essential ecosystem services such as water purification, food supply and recreational opportunities. At the same time, freshwater systems are among the most impacted and endangered habitats, exacerbated by the impacts of climate change, which further compromise water availability and quality. Still, the implementation of legislation for the protection of freshwater habitats is often hampered by economic interests, and progress towards improvements is generally insufficient and slow. In this session, we aim to gather perspectives from around the world regarding policy implementation. We will explore lessons that can be learned from the science-policy interfaces in order to address these challenges effectively. The outcomes of this session will be analyzed by the BioAgora project, which aims to develop science service for the EU commissions’ Knowledge Center for Biodiversity. Furthermore, best practices and policy recommendations will be compiled to form an opinion paper. This paper will be directed to the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) with the intention of stimulating the development of a freshwater assessment report and the nomination of experts specializing in the field of freshwater biodiversity. Ultimately, the collaboration established through this network will enable the Alliance of Freshwater Life to enhance the global research approach to freshwater biodiversity.
