Urban Nature Forum: summary of proceedings
Friday June 12th marked the beginning of Urban Nature Forum 2009, a side event to the ICLEI World Congress 2009. The event was held in collaboration with ICLEI’s Local Action for Biodiversity (LAB) Initiative and IUCN’s Countdown 2010 programme. Speakers addressed the importance of conserving local urban biodiversity, accomplishments of the LAB Initiative and the vital role of local governments in biodiversity preservation.
Edmonton’s mayor, Stephen Mandel, and ICLEI president and deputy mayor of Vancouver welcomed participants. The event then began with equally high-level input from UN CBD Executive Secretary, Dr Ahmed Djoghlaf. The following two days included informative and participatory presentations and other forms of interaction, with twin foci on the global strategy-level and the hands-on practical level of biodiversity management at the level of local government.
Download a brief summary of the proceedings form the Urban Nature Forum here. The final programme for the event is available for download here. Download presentations from the Urban Nature Forum 2009 here.
- ICLEI President, David Cadman
LOCAL ACTION FOR BIODIVERSITY NEWS
The 5th edition of the LAB Newsletter is now available, please click to download the PDF here
São Paulo City launches Biodiversity Report
On 22 May 2009, São Paulo City launched the publication of its Biodiversity Report which it completed in terms of its participation in LAB. The launch event which also celebrated International Biodiversity Day 2009, took place in the Modern Art Museum of Ibirapuera Park.
To download São Paulo’s Biodiversity Report, click here.
Biodiversity high on the agenda at ICLEI World Congress
From 14 to 18 June 2009, 600 participants from 57 countries gathered in the City of Edmonton in Western Canada for the triennial World Congress of ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainabiltity, a global network of 1100 cities working on sustainable development. The program touched on many areas of urban environmental sustainability, from Climate & Energy to Biodiversity and from Resilience & Adaptation to Water, in large plenaries and small working groups.
Upcoming publication: the LAB Guidebook
The LAB Guidebook: a pioneering global publication
ICLEI’s LAB Guidebook, produced in close association with IUCN and the CBD Secretariat, is a highly anticipated upcoming publication which, for the first time ever, will provide practitioners with comprehensive guidelines on the multiple aspects of biodiversity management in the challenging local government context.
Read more and download a promotional booklet on the LAB Guidebook here.
Local Action for Biodiversity Posters
Local Action for Biodiversity has created 2 new posters – one on the Durban Commitment which was developed, founded and signed by the 21 LAB pioneer project participants; the other illustrates innovative local government approaches to managing urban biodiversity around the world as part of the LAB pioneer project.
Download posters here
Cape Winelands District Municipality – first African municipality to join new phase of LAB
Cape Winelands District Municipality joins LAB
Cape Winelands District Municipality became the first African municipality, and also the first district municipality to join the second phase of the Local Action for Biodiversity (LAB) programme. The agreement was officially signed by Executive Mayor Clarence Johnson at the ICLEI Africa offices in Cape Town on Monday 18 May.
During the signing ceremony, Mayor Johnson highlighted key programmes within the Cape Winelands, commited to the conservation of biodiversity in partnership with strategic roleplayers.
To read more, click here.