Urban Nature Forum 2009: Summary of proceedings and presentations

Friday June 12^th 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 the following Urban Nature presentations:

Plenary 2: Local Action for Biodiversity - a variety of global initiatives

• Countdown 2010 and its outreach to local governments
  • Sebastian Winkler (IUCN/Countdown 2010)
• ICLEI’s Local Action for Biodiversity Pioneer Project 2006-2009
  • Stephen Granger (City of Cape Town; LAB Steering Committee member)
• Global advocacy for local action
  • Monika Zimmermann (ICLEI International Training Centre)
• UN agencies supporting local action for biodiversity
  • Oliver Hillel (UN CBD Secretariat)

Pleanary 3: Local Action in cities around the globe

• Activities in Brussels
  • Machteld Gryseels (Brussels Region, Belgium)
• Activities in Cape Town - African example
  • Stephen Granger (City of Cape Town, South Africa)
• Activities in Nagoya - Asian example
  • Tsuyoshi Ito (City of Nagoya, Japan)
• Activities in Abu Dhabi – Middle Eastern example
  • Victoria Brown (Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council, United Arab Emirates)
• Activities in Gold Coast Municipality - Australasian example
  • David Corkill (Gold Coast Municipality, Australia)
• Activities in Montréal - North American example
  • Michèle Picard (City of Montréal, Canada)

Plenary 4: Working together: cities, province and federal government agencies

• Canadian speakers discuss cooperation and facilitation between spheres of government
  • Bonnie James (Environment Canada), Ted Nason (Alberta Sustainable Resource Department)
• Input from South Africa’s national Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, on supporting local government
  • Kiruben Naicker (DEAT, South Africa)

Parallel 1: Biodiversity and local government: topical issues

• Protected areas and stewardship: the role of local government in the protection and management of natural areas
  • Grant Pearsell (City of Edmonton, Canada), Antoine Roulet (Seine-Saint-Denis, France), David Corkill (Gold Coast Municipality, Australia)

Parallel 2: Taking action

• From commitment to action: how to best integrate biodiversity into municipal planning and policy
  • Grant Pearsell (City of Edmonton), Andre Mader (ICLEI/LAB)
• Urban agriculture and urban-rural linkages: a contribution to resilient cities?
  • Thomas Forster (International Partners for Sustainable Agriculture), Takawira Mubvami (Municipal Development Partnership, Zimbabwe)
• Cooperation with science: what are the priorities for cooperation?
  • Thomas Elmqvist (Stockholm Resilience Centre), Christine Alfsen (UNESCO)

Plenary 5: Planning the future

• Local Action for Biodiversity and Countdown 2010
  • Stephen Granger (City of Cape Town; LAB Steering Committee); Monika Zimmermann (ICLEI ITC), Sebastian Winkler (IUCN/Countdown 2010), Kobie Brand (ICLEI Africa Secretariat)
• Planning for the Nagoya Cities Summit at COP 10
  • Masashi Kato (City of Nagoya), Chikara Hombo (City of Nagoya and SCBD), Michie Kishigami (ICLEI Japan Office), Elisa CAlcaterra (IUCN/Countdown 2010), Oliver Hillel (UN CBD Secretariat)

Plenary 6: The Singapore Index on Cities' Biodiversity

• Plenary session: the Singapore Index on Cities’ Biodiversity
  • Lena Chan (Singapore National Parks), Oliver Hillel (UN CBD Secretariat), Elisa Calcaterra (IUCN/Countdown 2010), Thomas Elmqvist (Stockholm Resilience Centre), Michèle Picard (City of Montréal), André Mader (ICLEI/LAB)

Other

• Urban nature – Nairobi Experience
  • Eng. B. K. Njenga, Deputy Director of Environment, City Council of Nairobi
• Urban rags to ecological riches: the potential of degraded  sites
  • Steven N. Handel (Rutgers University, New Jersey, USA)