Biodiversity and international water policy: international agreements and experiences related to the protection of freshwater ecosystems
2001
A. Klaphake | W. Scheumann | R. Schliep
The paper reviews current international conventions, agreements and declarations related to the sustainable use of freshwater ecosystems and freshwater biodiversity with the aim of stimulating discussions on practical experiences and challenges in freshwater ecosystem management. The paper highlights some principle areas of concern.The paper finds that restrictions on effective ecosystem management include lack of incentives in conjunction with political, market and institutional failures. It argues that implementation of an ecosystem approach should follow a step-by-step approach: Identification of underlying and case-specific pressuresInstitution building and capacity building. Ecosystem management should not insist on unrealistic institutional options with a “vision” of full co-ordination of all users and uses, but start in the framework of existing institutions and use a piecemeal approachCreation of an enabling environment that was traditionally neglected in classical nature conservation policyInternational co-operation. Starting with agreements on some essentials for the preservation of freshwater ecosystems (water quality, in-stream flows) might be appropriate
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