Increasing local autonomy of government biodiversity conservation programmes

Devolving management of biological resources conservation projects to local level

According to local circumstances and capacity, some functions of local government in devolved biodiversity management will be to: a) ensure that biodiversity considerations are effectively integrated into local strategies, plans and programmes; b) institute and participate in public education, awareness and training programmes; c) develop management plans for local resources that are under pressure; ensure that biodiversity considerations are integrated into land-use planning procedures for rural and urban areas; and d) encourage and prepare municipal open space systems which play a positive role in conserving and using biological resources sustainably.

1. Top-down concepts of biodiversity need to be contextualised: the concept needs to be transformed to a bottom-up concept in order to make the concept clear for everybody: from politician and government official, to ordinary man.

1. Strengthening role of local authorities in sustainable development
2. Promoting sustainable use of biodiversity
3. Delegating sustainable development to appropriate level
4. Decentralizing decisions to the lowest appropriate level

1. Ensuring local authorities use environmentally sound building materials

1. Promoting community involvement in environmental protection
2. Benefit-sharing of community level biodiversity conservation

1. Promoting public participation in environmental decision-making
2. Combining public and private sector resources in biodiversity conservation

1. Establishing common ownership over biological resources
2. Developing local environmental health action plans

1. Lack of local authority involvement in environmental protection

1. Self-government
2. Nonlocal
3. Mismanagement
4. Government
5. Conservative
6. Conservation
7. Autonomy