EXPLORING ECOTOURISM

Tourism and Biodiversity

BIODIVERSITY WIKI
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Though scientists have named 1.7 million species, at least 3.3 million others are still out there, as yet unidentified.
- Diversity Notebook

PHOTO GALLERY: Biodiversity

The UN General Assembly declared 2010 as the International Year of Biodiversity. Planeta.com will be updating a number of our features. How are you planning to observe or celebrate the coming year? Your suggestions are welcome!

FEATURES

Indigenous Tourism and Biodiversity Website Award
Animals
Tourism, Parks and Protected Areas
Diversity
Tourism and Wildlife
Chasing Biodiversity - John Shores
Discretionary Travel Endangers the Planet's Biodiversity - John Shores
Comments on COP-8 in Curitiba - Frank Segieth
Tour Operator's Dilemma - Ronda Green
Integrating Biodiversity into the Tourism Sector
Defining Wilderness

2010

The UN General Assembly declared 2010 as the International Year of Biodiversity ( resolution 61/203). It designated the secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity as the focal point for the Year and invited the secretariat to cooperate with other relevant United Nations bodies, multilateral environmental agreements, international organizations and other stakeholders, with a view to bringing greater international attention to the continued loss of biodiversity. The Assembly encouraged Member States and other stakeholders to take advantage of the Year to increase awareness of the importance of biodiversity by promoting actions at the local, regional and international levels. It invited Member States to consider establishing national committees for the Year, and invited Member States and relevant international organizations to support the activities to be organized by developing countries -- especially least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing States -- and countries with economies in transition. Details

QUESTIONS

What are the most effective ways of using tourism to protect biodiversity?
What are the most effective ways of protecting biodiversity from tourism?

EVENTS

World Conservation Congress
Ninth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (May 19-30, 2008) (Bonn, Germany)

DEFINITIONS

While the concept is old as life itself, 'biodiversity' is a new term, coined as recently as 1986. Some ask how to integrate biodiversity and tourism. Others ask how to protect biodiversity from tourism.

What is biodiversity? According to the Wikipedia, there is no single standard definition: "One definition holds that biological diversity is a measure of the relative diversity among organisms present in different ecosystems. Diversity in this definition includes diversity within species and among species, and comparative diversity among ecosystems. Another definition, simpler and clearer, but more challenging, is the totality of genes, species, and ecosystems of a region."

RECOMMENDATIONS

John Shores: "The tourism-biodiversity research agenda needs to broaden in at least two dimensions. Along the time dimension, we need to identify efficient indicators to monitor in the short term that can predict the status of biodiversity conservation over decades and centuries, and the useful policies and practical actions that can be used to shape those futures. Along the supply chain dimension, we need research that assesses the impacts on biodiversity from the entire spectrum of the travel and tourism industry, not just from the activities at destinations. Achieving a comprehensive view in time and in space will not be easy, but it should supply valuable information and support for the growing movement toward a sustainable tourism in all of its aspects."

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EXPLORING ECOTOURISM

Tourism and Biodiversity

BIODIVERSITY WIKI PLANETA FORUM

FEATURES

2010

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