Biodiversity and the Precautionary Principle
Risk, Uncertainty and Practice in Conservation and Sustainable Use
Edited By Rosie Cooney, Precautionary Principle Project Co-ordinator, Uk and Barney Dickson, Fauna and Flora International, UK
Paperback
November 2005 •
336 pages •
234 x 156mm •
ISBN 9781844072774
Great uncertainty typically surrounds decisions and management actions in the conservation of biodiversity and natural resource management, and yet there are risks of serious and irreversible harm for both biodiversity and the humans that rely on it. The precautionary principle arguably underlies all international conservation efforts and promotes acting to avoid serious or irreversible environmental harm, despite lack of scientific certainty as to the likelihood, magnitude or cause of harm.
This book is the first to examine the application of the precautionary principle to biodiversity conservation and natural resource management, incorporating perspectives from scientists, economists, lawyers and practitioners from both developing and developed countries. It analyses the application and impacts of the principle in many areas including forestry, invasive alien species, wildlife trade, protected areas and fisheries, in a range of national and international contexts. Particular attention is drawn to issues of equity, livelihoods, science and politics, and the book provides guidelines for applying the precautionary principle to biodiversity conservation and natural resource management.
CONTENTS (Expand Contents)
INTRODUCTION
From Promise to Practicalities: The Precautionary Principle in Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Use
Part I: THE PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE IN INTERNATIONAL REGIMES AND POLICY PROCESSES
Forest Policy, the Precautionary Principle and Sustainable Forest Management
The Precautionary Principle: Knowledge Counts but Power Decides?
The Precautionary Principle, Uncertainty and Trophy-Hunting: A Review of the Torghar Population of Central Asian Markhor Capra Falconeri
The Precautionary Principle in Impact Assessment: An International Review
Part II: NATIONAL EXPERIENCE IN APPLYING THE PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE
The Evolution and Impact of Precautionary Fisheries Law and Policy in Australia: An Environmental NGO Perspective
Protection of Sea Turtles: Putting the Precautionary Principle into Practice
Application of the Precautionary Principle in Judicial and Administrative Decisions about Argentinian Biodiversity: A Case Study
Preventing Alien Invasions: The Precautionary Principle in Practice in Weed Risk Assessment in Australia
Part III: MAKING DECISIONS ABOUT UNCERTAIN THREATS: PRECAUTION, PROHIBITIONS AND ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT
Making the Precautionary Principle Work for Biodiversity: Avoiding Perverse Outcomes in Decision-making Under Uncertainty
Parrots, Precaution and Project Elé: Management in the Face of Multiple Uncertainties
Precaution in the American Endangered Species Act as a Precursor to Environmental Decline: The Case of the Northwest Forest Plan
Part IV: THE PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE AND LOCAL LIVELIHOODS
People, Parks and Precaution: the Evolution of the Precautionary Principle in Wildlife Conservation in India
Managing Uganda's Forests in the Face of Uncertainty and Competing Demands: What is the Precautionary Approach?
The Precautionary Approach and Local Livelihoods: A Study of a Protected Landscape and Seascape in the Philippines
Part V: ANALYTICAL PERSPECTIVES ON PRECAUTION
Economics, the Precautionary Principle and Natural Resource Management: Key Issues, Tools and Practices
Fairness and the Costs and Benefits of Precautionary Action
CONCLUSION
Precautionary Principle, Precautionary Practice: Lessons and Insights
Rosie COONEY coordinates The Precautionary Principle Project — a partnership of IUCN, Fauna & Flora International, ResourceAfrica and TRAFFIC.
Barney DICKSON is Head of International Policy at Fauna & Flora International.