Promoting Financing for Conservation

Wetlands are among the world's most productive environments. Wetlands are important storehouses of plant genetic material. They are cradles of biological diversity, providing the water and primary productivity upon which countless species of plants and animals depend for survival. They support high concentrations of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrate species. Of the 20,000 species of fish in the world, more than 40% live in fresh water… And humans, too. Rice, a common wetland plant, is the staple diet of more than half of humanity.

More and more economists and other scientists are working in the field of the valuation of ecosystem services. This is a difficult task, still full of uncertainties, but there is no other choice than to progress in this direction. Some recent studies have indicated that ecosystems provide at least US$ 33 trillion worth of services annually, of which US$ 4.9 trillion are attributed to wetlands. In line with the overall thrust of the Ramsar Convention in recent years, the Bureau (the Convention secretariat) is actively working to develop the right approaches to making the Convention a useful tool in the fight against poverty and is therefore strengthening its work on the socio-economic aspects of wetland conservation and wise use.

"It is easier to convert a financial expert into an environmentalist than converting an environmentalist into a financial expert". With this tongue-twister, Alain Lambert starts explaining the concept of conservation finance, and the role of Ramsar in promoting wetlands funds. Indeed, the Ramsar Bureau started promoting the concept of socio-economic themes for the rational use of wetlands about three years ago, by starting 4 areas of action, according to Lambert:

1. The promotion of sustainable trade of wetland products as a way to conserve wetlands and alleviate poverty; 
2. The promotion of sustainable financial mechanisms for wetland conservation, including economic instruments (emission charges, user charges, taxes, product charges, marketable rights, performance bonds, liability payments), environmental trust funds, debt swaps, etc.
3. The strengthening of the Convention's work on wetlands incentives and disincentives for wetlands conservation and sustainable use; and
4. Support to Contracting Parties in their fundraising efforts for wetland projects through the strengthening/effective capitalization of the Ramsar Small Grants Fund.

The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands is becoming an active player in conservation finance and believes that it is essential to integrate the conservation of wetlands and sustainable development activities as a contribution to the eradication of poverty. The role of the Convention Bureau in these endeavors is not to implement any kind of projects per se but rather to stimulate, advice or initiate processes either with its traditional or with new partners.

The Pantanal wetland is a complex and vast ecosystem subject to a myriad of pressures which are potentially as impacting as the size of the basin. Yes. The Upper Paraguay basin, which includes about 600 thousand square kilometers, is shared by Bolivia, Brazil and Paraguay. Although there are plans and comprehensive efforts to cope with the challenges of sustainable development and promoting conservation in the region, such as Programa Pantanal and GEF Alto Paraguay, these are just modest attempts compared to the overall needs of the Pantanal, in terms of funding to carry out research, and sustainable socio-economic growth in harmony with this fragile ecosystem. Therefore, the idea of promoting environmental funds for financing sustainable activities in the Pantanal evolved with the discussions with Lambert, EPI, Programa Pantanal officials, and others.

In Brasilia, the Ministry of Environment, through the Secretariat for Sustainable Development, organized a half-day long presentation and discussion to explore the different tools and financial mechanisms, such as revolving funds, endowments, and debt-swaps, among others, that would help to maintain considerable resources to cope with challenges in the Pantanal. Secretary Gilney Vianna mentioned "sustainability requires a partnership with society, and the recognition of the environment management as a necessary platform for development. We can't afford anymore to continue in a development path without taking into consideration ecosystem limitations. When we don't recognize those limitations, we experience degradation of the surroundings and this is reflected in health and well-being of the people."

In Campo Grande and Cuiabá, EPI promoted Ramsar´s presentations at the Catholic University Dom Bosco (August 13) and the Seminar for Conservation Units in Mato Grosso (August 15), organized by Instituto Centro Vida. Also, EPI partners Ecologia em Ação and Pantanal Research Center organized meetings in the Pantanal Brazilian states to discuss issues related to Conservation Funds, and the organization of a conservation finance course to be administered by the Conservation Finance Alliance (of which Ramsar is part of, and Lambert is the current President. More information at www.conservationfinance.org.)  More than 30 organizations participated in these meetings, representing government, academia, non-governmental organizations, private sector, and individual stakeholders.  Ramsar and EPI proposed to hold this course in the first quarter of 2004.

In Cáceres, Alberto Palombo, Coordinator of EPI, and Lambert made presentations in the opening of the II Paraguay River Expedition, organized by the Rede Pantanal, departing from Cáceres to Corumbá. Palombo spoke about EPI's role in fostering information exchange between Pantanal stakeholders, in terms of sustainable business promotion, ecological corridors, and communication. Ramsar´s Lambert spoke on conservation finance mechanisms, and reaffirmed the efforts of the Ramsar Convention in working with the contracting parties, which in the case of the Pantanal, all three countries (Bolívia, Brazil, Paraguay) have Ramsar sites within the Alto Paraguay basin.

EPI remained with the task of promoting the information exchange among the interested institutions that participated in the round of meetings to organize de conservation finance course next year. For further information, please contact Maria do Carmo Zinato (mariacz@ces.fau.edu)

 

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To know more about the theme of conservation finance, you can download the following papers written by Dr. Alain Lambert. 

Economic Valuation of Wetlands (short version, English)

Economic Valuation of Wetlands (long version, Spanish)

World Sustainability Financing (complete version, Spanish)