How It All Began
Having recognised and accepted the vital role that the natural world plays in so many aspects of everyday life, 168 governments including the UK, signed the Convention on Biological Diversity at the 1992 Earth Summit in Brazil.
Local Biodiversity Partnerships
Nature is fundamental to human existence and this has been recognised by governments world-wide. Human health and well-being, the standard of living of state populations and our continued survival depends on healthy, properly functioning ecosystems. Cared for well, nature provides us with clean water, clean air and our food as well as protecting us against flooding, drought and a changing climate. A good example of benefits to us from nature are the pollination services provided by insects without which much of our food production would be lost.
Recognising this the UK Government, along with another 168 states, signed the Convention on Biological Diversity at the 1992 Earth Summit in Brazil. This momentous agreement committed states to protect biodiversity through active policies. In the UK a National Action Plan was created with the essential principles of how to protect and enhance biodiversity. The devolved governments agreed to develop biodiversity policies to deliver the Action Plan and in Scotland this was particularly taken on board.
How our Local Biodiversity Partnerships Began
One of the UK National Action Plan principles is that biodiversity can be supported by government policies but ultimately it is delivered at the local level. Realising this Local Biodiversity Action Plans were set up which bring together enabling partners such as local authorities and agencies, communities and environmental organisations. This is why local biodiversity partnerships began. In 1996 The North East Scotland Biodiversity Partnership (NESBiP) was one of the four pilot partnerships in Scotland.
If the UK Action Plan is to be implemented successfully, we need to translate national targets into action at the local level
20 Years of Partnership
To celebrate our 20th Anniversary in 2017 we produced a booklet to highlight and celebrate just 20 of our most successful projects. We also led on the production of another booklet celebrating the work of all 22 Scottish Biodiversity Partnerships.
But our first 20 years are just the beginning. Nobody alive today can honestly claim to have done enough for biodiversity. On our farms, in our forests, on our moorlands and rivers, on our roadsides, in our gardens, business parks and school grounds, every single one of us has to do more – must do more if our children and grandchildren are going to inherit an environment that will give them at least some of the same opportunities and benefits we have enjoyed.
Roger Owen
NESBiP Advisory Group chair