International Biodiversity Day: A call to action from Partners for Water

Today, 22 May 2024, marks International Biodiversity Day, highlighting the crucial role of biodiversity in sustaining life on Earth. At Partners for Water, we use this day to emphasize the importance of conserving biodiversity and our commitment to its protection.
We believe collective action from all sectors is essential to address biodiversity loss. To underscore this, we interviewed experts like Claudia Schutte from RVO, Maxime Eiselin from IUCN NL, and Dr. James Byng from TU Delft for their insights on preserving biodiversity.

Dedicated to biodiversity

“Biodiversity means life!” exclaims Claudia Schutte of the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO). At RVO, Claudia and her team are dedicated to mainstreaming biodiversity in development efforts. They aim to implement nature-inclusive programs and projects that avoid harming biodiversity and actively promote a nature-positive impact. “We are not there yet, but we are dedicated to that mission,” Claudia adds.

Today, humanity faces two major crises: climate and biodiversity crises. Dr. James Byng, the Director at the technical Hortus Botanicus of TU Delft, is most worried that we still know so little about this planet’s biodiversity. Without comprehensive knowledge, conservation efforts are hindered. “Imagine what we can do if we can get botanists, horticulturists, engineers, architects, and designers all working together!” he envisions.

Political will is needed

Maxime Eiselin, Senior Expert in Nature-based Solutions at IUCN NL, stresses the necessity of political will to integrate biodiversity into policies, regulations, planning, and development processes. “To structurally reduce biodiversity loss, political will is needed at all levels of government to ensure the integration of biodiversity in decision-making,” he explains. Claudia Schutte agrees, noting that short-term ambitions often overshadow long-term ecological goals, posing a significant challenge to achieving the targets for 2030 and goals for 2050 set by the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (K-M GBF).

Challenges and successes

Biodiversity-positive interventions require time to yield results, as nature takes time to restore. Despite these challenges, successes like species recovery documented in the IUCN Green Status of Species and practical conservation efforts in the IUCN Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas offer optimism. When discussing biodiversity, many forget that genetic diversity is just as crucial as ecosystem diversity. Adding greenery to cities is beneficial, but climate change is vital to ensuring genetic diversity in urban trees. Municipalities and communities must utilise this growing knowledge.

Ambitious goals at COP16

At the UN’s Convention on Biological Diversity COP16 in October and November in 2024, countries will submit their updated plans for contributing to the K-M GBF using their National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plans (NBSAPs). “The proof of the pudding is in the eating. We’ll see at COP17 2025 if combining all these NBSAPs will be enough to reach our agreed goals at the global level,” says Claudia. Maxime highlights the upcoming negotiations on financial mechanisms, digital sequence information, and the monitoring framework, which are crucial to reaching the ambitious targets of the K-M GBF.

Act now

“Transformative action is essential because we cannot simply halt this mass extinction,” stresses Maxime. Solving the biodiversity issue requires collective action from stakeholders, including companies, NGOs, governments, and knowledge institutions. “Surround yourself with ambitious partners to drive broader mainstreaming in society,” he advises.

Legislation and financial structures are pushing companies towards sustainable business models. A report from DNB (De Nederlandse Bank) and PBL (Plan Bureau Leefomgeving, “Indebted to Nature” (2020), highlights the risks financial institutions face when funding companies with negative biodiversity impacts. Companies must adapt their operations to government policy and changing consumer preferences to reduce the damage to biodiversity.

Nature’s Pride for biodiversity conservation

Nature’s Pride has been working on an efficient, fair, and sustainable food chain since 2001. Natures Pride: “We’re strongly committed to people’s well-being, responsible water management, and climate change mitigation and resilience. As part of our new ambitions for the care of people and nature, we’ve included biodiversity conservation into our cultivation areas. Last year, we were the first to successfully pilot GLOBALG.A.P.’s BioDiversity add-on outside of Europe together with two of our dedicated partner growers in South Africa”. For over two decades ZZ2, avocado grower in South Africa, has been farming according to the ‘Natuurboerdery’ concept. “We have implemented a wide array of practices that protect and enhance biodiversity in and around our farms. The pilot we did with Nature’s Pride helped us to strengthen on-farm biodiversity practices and to independently verify and formally document these best practices. We are now expanding the use of biodiversity assessments and action plans as a standard practice to all our farms”, says Clive Garrett, Marketing Manager at ZZ2.

Knowledge is key

“We all have a part to play, both individually and collectively, whether here in The Netherlands or abroad,” says Maxime Eiselin. However, knowledge is often fragmented and undervalued. Indigenous knowledge, in particular, plays a vital role in identifying and preserving local flora and fauna. Programs like “Reversing the Flow” integrate scientific and indigenous knowledge, highlighting the importance of valuing diverse perspectives. “By working together and appreciating different types of knowledge, we can strengthen and accelerate implementation efforts,” says Claudia.

Biodiversity as a starting point

“Humanity depends on biodiversity for its survival,” stresses James. “From medicines to food to construction materials, it all starts with biodiversity.” If we can sustainably document, conserve, and utilise biodiversity, humanity can reach a turning point. With the increase in global population and greater demand for ecosystem services, the current generation may be the last to have the chance to make a significant impact. Botanical gardens like TU Delft Hortus Botanicus are crucial in preserving biodiversity and advancing plant research, contributing to sustainable practices like coastal mangrove conservation. The TU Delft Hortus Botanicus, under James Byng’s leadership, exemplifies this by collecting global plant species for study and conservation.

Local action for greater good

An inspiring example is the mountainous Atewa forest in Ghana, which IUCN NL and its local partners aim to preserve. Fifty-three communities living on the forest’s forest’s fringes rely on it for their livelihoods, and it serves as a vital water source for over five million people. However, the forest is at risk due to plans for large-scale bauxite mining. Through sharing knowledge and raising awareness among policymakers in Ghana, strides have been made to change the mining plans. “The Atewa forest demonstrates how local advocacy can secure biodiversity and water resources for millions,” says Maxime.

Biodiversity is up to you

As citizens, engaging with this global issue might seem challenging. Take small steps in your immediate environment: green your garden, remove tiles, set up insect hotels, and plant native organic plants to attract and support insects. Also, become a more responsible consumer: cut back on animal-based products, avoid unnecessary purchases, and opt for second-hand items or sustainable alternatives when possible. Claudia:  “Remember, we’re all in this together—businesses, governments, NGOs, knowledge institutes, and each of us as individuals.”

The way forward

Looking ahead to the COP16 in Cali, there is optimism for progress in biodiversity conservation. However, tangible results require collective effort and political will. Despite the complexities of biodiversity conservation, one thing is clear: collective action is imperative. Governments, businesses, NGOs, and individuals must unite to sustainably use, conserve, and restore our planet’s biodiversity. By embracing collaboration, valuing diverse perspectives, and prioritizing long-term sustainability, we can be part of the plan to safeguard biodiversity for future generations. Together, we can actively work towards a healthier, more resilient planet.

Mark your calender for a Biodiversity event!

On 1 October 2024, Partners for Water will organise an event focused on biodiversity. More information will follow soon, so keep an eye on our event page.

Partners for Water X Asian Development Bank

By collaborating with nature, we can support biodiversity and ecosystems and foster resilient approaches to water and climate-related challenges. Since June 2023, Partners for Water and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have partnered to promote this approach. This collaboration enables Partners for Water to provide technical support and expert guidance regarding NBS to ADB’s member countries, facilitating the adoption and scaling up of NBS to improve global water security.

NBS Lectures

From April until June, we are offering a range of lectures where you can discover more about utalising NBS to address water challenges and enhance water security. These lectures will cover topics such as urban NBS (wetlands, sponge city, wadi 2.0, tidal parks), mangrove restoration, reuse of local materials in NBS (sediment, (rain) water, etc.) and cultural impact of NBS. You will learn from global experts and international case studies and explore innovative methods, valuable lessons learned and succesfull approaches.

Upcoming lecture

The next, and last NBS lecture will be held on the 5th of June.

Lecture 5 June

The online NBS lecture of 5 June will focus on the cultural impact of NBS.

Nature-Based Solutions can alter the local landscape. Social and cultural inclusion are therefore a prerequisite when implementing NBS.

Topics to be discussed:

• Cultural heritage landscapes restoration
• Hedges as green water corridors: NBS measure on landscape scale
• Cultural ecosystem services in Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park

Find more information about the lecture topics, as well as the scheduled times and dates here.

The NBS lectures are part of the important partnership agreement between Partners for Water and the Asian Development Bank.

Enthusiastic panel discussions

“Every country has its own challenges, yet we all face similar problems. For example, too much water in one place and not enough in another. Together, we can develop solutions that benefit us all.” Said Sergio Lopez, the executive coordinator at the Argentinian Ministry of Public Works, getting to the heart of the matter. He and his fellow officials from Chili and Indonesia talked enthusiastically about their recent field trips to several Dutch NBS projects as part of a delegation from the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and national governments visiting the Netherlands ahead of the event.

Inspiring plenary presentations

The lively buzz in the room fell silent as keynote speakers Bregje van Wesenbeeck (Deltares) and Eva Pfannez (OOZE) took turns inspiring the 150 attendees with their vision on integrating NBS into spatial design. “We are in energy, infrastructure and agriculture transitions”, Bregje says, “but we’re taking on each transition individually. We need solutions that support all of these transitions together. NBS meets this ‘multifunctionality’ criterion.”

Eva emphasised the versatility of NBS by demonstrating how the Indian city of Chennai plans to face both flooding and water shortage by storing excess water in aquifers. A pilot project on a school site in the centre of Chennai provides valuable lessons learnt: “For instance, we now know that to mitigate risk, we need to incorporate the cost of client management, capacity building and awareness raising.”

Bregje supported this observation and pointed out the added significance of collaboration. “It helps to have diverse people at the table. Different people offer different perspectives and solutions. This encourages us to let go of tunnel visions.”

Valuable breakout sessions

Fortunately, the event featured plenty of diverse perspectives. The NBS professionals were given the opportunity to break out into small groups to delve deeper into the relevant themes and discuss them together. These were the key outcomes of those breakout sessions:

• NBS are likely to be an outcome of integrated and inclusive processes during project initiation.
• The IUCN NBS Standard can help to effectively design, implement and scale up NBS.
• An inclusive, bottom-up approach inspires more ownership, creativity and fun.
• Some stakeholders might seem more important than others, but in the decision-making process, you’ll need all of them.
• When implementing NBS, nature should be able to do its work. It should be managed as little as possible.
• Enhancing biodiversity is as important as improving the water safety for inhabitants.

Informal networking

As the final speaker concluded his remarks, the power of collaboration and the value of diverse voices were enthusiastically embraced. The attendees then continued to share their insights and look for collaborative opportunities. They did this at either the informal social gatherings or at the so-called ‘country tables’, which were set up for participants interested in water sectors in specific countries.

When the time came for the participants to head home, there was a collective sense of confidence. The NBS community came together, connected and listened to each other. Now it’s up to everyone to continue doing so. With the evident determination, innovative ideas and enough people at the table, this goal certainly is attainable.

Questions about the event or about Nature-based Solutions?

Please sent an e-mail to administratiepvw@pvw.nl, or reach out to Matthijs Zijlmans. 

By voluntarily committing to the UN Water Action Agenda, these organisations are taking action to create a breakthrough in the application and implementation of NBS for water-related challenges. With the ultimate goal of making NBS a widely accepted practice by 2030, this coalition aims to drive meaningful change in the way we approach water-related issues and environmental sustainability.

Promised commitments

The coalition members are taking ownership of their responsibilities to mainstream NBS by voluntarily committing to:

• Being an NBS ambassador;
• Promoting the inclusion of NBS as a potential solution for societal challenges in the water sector;
• Presenting examples of how NBS solutions act as an alternative to traditional infrastructure approaches;
• Joining, supporting or creating fundamental and applied research projects to further develop NBS as a standard option; and
• Promoting, supporting or co-investing in enablers for the development of NBS, such as a sound business case and technical, ecological, social and system knowledge

Partners for Water and NBS

The launch of the coalition was organised by Team International Organisations (TIO) at the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) along with EcoShape. Being a part of the RVO and having a strong focus on the application of NBS, Partners for Water applauds this collaboration and is looking forward to impactful results.

Over the past few years, we have already been working closely together on a number of projects with coalition members Invest International, EcoShape and its consortium partners. A key focus within these collaborations has been on using and scaling up NBS to address water safety and water security.

Recent collaborations with Invest International and EcoShape

Both Invest International and EcoShape have been working together with Partners for Water on several initiatives in Indonesia. And some of EcoShape’s consortium partners have recently received funding from the Partners for Water subsidy scheme for various projects with local partners. These have included a study on using natural groundwater buffers in Colombia (Deltares) and a feasibility study for a flood prediction service in Malawi (RoyalHaskoningDHV).

Through these partnerships, the organisations have been able to leverage their expertise, for example on NBS, to address pressing water-related issues.

Action and follow-up

The coalition members will develop the details of their commitment to mainstream Nature-based Solutions further during and after the UN2023 Water Conference. The launch of the coalition is a starting point. Is your organization interested in contributing to mainstreaming NBS? Register your interest on the EcoShape website.