In the evening of November 19, 2018, local time in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, the CBCGDF delegation attended the Fourteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP14) of the 2018 United Nations Biodiversity Conference, held its first side event that had long been waiting for everyone, which was a complete success and achieved important results. The theme of this event is “Areas of Connectivity Conservation (ACCs)- A New Conservation Designation for Ecological Networks”. The day was full of seats, and the level of attractions was somewhat unexpected. Many of the international colleagues attending the Conference went to listen. Because of the limited seating, some listeners even sit on the ground, which is rare during the Conference in Egypt.
Several important guests, including the representatives of CBCGDF, introduced the definition and concept of connected protected areas to the audience, condensed the importance of promoting this proposal, and promoted the establishment of discussion and consensus on the application of the new concept on protected areas. CBCGDF has established the “China Conservation Area for something at somewhere” (CCAfa) system creatively, which was contributed by the majority of non-governmental volunteers devoted in biodiversity conservation. This system was further explained in the side event on the theme of “Connectivity Conservation: Bottom-Up Strategies from China Conservation Area (CCAfa)”.
It’s worth mentioning that in the side event, Dr. Zhou Jinfeng, the Secretary General of CBCGDF, reunited with Mr. Tim Hirsch, Deputy Director of the world’s largest “Global Biodiversity Information Facility” (GBIF). Back in the summer of 2018, Tim visited CBCGDF and had an in-depth exchange with Dr. Zhou on the work of the “CCAfa” system. Not long ago, GBIF announced it reached the staggering number of 1 billion records around the world in July. CBCGDF held a release conference on the successful input data of endangered species including Baiji dolphin, great bustard and pangolin on the GBIF platform, and has become its official data publisher. So far, CBCGDF has been working tirelessly to share data and fill gaps with the GBIF platform and has successfully completed the deployment of the IPT. At the tame, Mr. Donald Hobern, the Executive Secretary of GBIF also attended the conference to congratulate on the scene.
In June 2018, when Tim visited, Dr. Zhou shared with him the story of CBCGDF volunteers' investigation of the trails of Baiji dolphin. (Photo: CBCGDF)
The GBIF platform data entry release conference held by CBCGDF in July 2018 (the fifth from left is GBIF Executive Secretary Mr. Donald Hobern)
(Photo: CBCGDF)
During the reunion of Dr. Zhou and Tim at the side event, Dr. Zhou specifically asked Tim to send his greetings to Donald. Particularly, Tim expressed his appreciation and gratitude to Dr. Zhou for CBCGDF’s efforts in data entry on endangered species that represents an important contribution to the world. At the same time, through the introduction of Dr. Zhou, Tim held full and friendly talks with the heads of the Chinese delegation attending the Biodiversity Conference and promoted the related work. Moreover, the GBIF delegation attending the Egypt Conference and the CBCGDF delegation agreed to arrange another important meeting during the conference.
(Photo: CBCGDF)
The audience attending the CBCGDF co-hosted CBD/COP14 side event also included a number of international experts who attended CCICED in early November with Dr. Zhou. While many CCICED members participated in this side event on connectivity protection, Dr. Zhou also met with international colleagues and friends such as the renown conservationist/writer/photographer, the co-founder and strategic advisor of Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative, member of IUCN-WCPA Connectivity Conservation Specialist Group Dr. Harvey Locke.
CBCGDF representative Dr. Alice Hughes (right) with Dr. Harvey Locke
This side event on Connectivity Conservation Areas is intended to increase awareness and draw together diverse constituencies to increase collaborative efforts to achieve inclusion of ACCs in the post-2020 global biodiversity framework.
(Photo courtesy: CBCGDF EPNF)
(The sources the photos in the text have been signed, please indicate the sources.)
Original Chinese article:
http://www.cbcgdf.org/NewsShow/4937/6804.html