Parks and Protected Areas Alone Fail to Stop Freshwater Decline, Says New Expert Group
In a statement published today, the Skukuza Freshwater Group, made up of experts from leading conservation organizations, advocated urgent action and approaches to water management in order to meet the needs of the world's poorest people and combat the alarming decline of freshwater species.
(Vocus) May 21, 2007
In a statement published today, the Skukuza Freshwater Group, made up of experts from leading conservation organizations, advocated urgent action and approaches to water management in order to meet the needs of the world's poorest people and combat the alarming decline of freshwater species.
The Skukuza Statement: Keeping Our Rivers, Lakes and Freshwater Wetlands alive -- a Call for Action, states that the diversity of freshwater species is declining more rapidly than those in terrestrial or marine environments. The group stated that many freshwater ecosystems have been "substantially failed" by the weaknesses in design and management of many networks of parks and protected areas because they are focused primarily on terrestrial conservation and ignore the parts of freshwater systems that lie outside park borders. Furthermore, the interconnectivity of rivers means that negative changes in one part of the catchment can influence the rest of the system and the people depending on them.
"Healthy freshwater species and the water needs of people are inextricably linked and the future of both is at stake. More than 3 billion people collectively lack adequate drinking water or sanitation services and freshwater life has declined 50 percent since the 1970's," said Carmen Revenga, senior freshwater scientist at The Nature Conservancy. "It is imperative that we find ways globally to manage water for people and nature and address threats to ensure that these valuable resources are protected now and for future generations."
In order to restore freshwater ecosystems for people and for nature, the Skukuza Group recommends:
New guidance to help protected area managers better target freshwater areas in parks and protected areas as well as participate in management decisions of rivers outside park borders. An integrated approach to managing water that balances protection of key species and habitats with the conservation of ecosystem functions that deliver services to people, particularly those whose livelihoods depend upon freshwater ecosystems. Developing criteria to help governments protect the world's declining number of free-flowing rivers, i. e. those free from dams and significant levels of water extraction, as important assets in the protection of global biodiversity.
"Ecological processes have very tangible impacts that can make or break a river system. Stemming freshwater decline entails managing demand and water allocation for uses from agriculture to industrial and urban use, protecting rivers and wetlands that support aquatic species, and reducing land-based pressures such as pollution and deforestation," said Harry Biggs, of SANParks Programme for Adaptive Biodiversity Outcomes.
The Skukuza Freshwater Group is made up of freshwater biologists and other experts from South African National Parks (SANParks), the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), The Nature Conservancy (TNC), Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) and various independent academics from Australia, the United States and South Africa. It is named after a symposium held in October 2006 in Skukuza, Kruger National Park, South Africa, to discuss the potential for improved protection of freshwater ecosystems.
Media contacts:
Skukuza Group, TNC: Erica Rychwalski, 703-841-4837, www. nature. org
Skukuza Group, SANParks: Raymond Travers, +27 13 735 4116, www. sanparks. org
Skukuza Groups, CSIR: Dirk Roux, 012-841-2695, http://www. csir. co. za (http://www. csir. co. za)
Skukuza Group, WWF: Lisa Hadeed, +41 22 364 9030 www. panda. org/freshwater (http://www. panda. org/freshwater)
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