By Dr. Kariuki Muigua, PhD (Leading Environmental Law Scholar, Policy Advisor, Natural Resources Lawyer and Dispute Resolution Expert from Kenya), Winner of Kenya’s ADR Practitioner of the Year 2021, ADR Publisher of the Year 2021 and CIArb (Kenya) Lifetime Achievement Award 2021*
There are mainly two approaches to biological diversity conservation, namely: in-situ and ex-situ conservation. Over the past century a wide range of different conservation-oriented approaches have been enacted, from local and regional scale activities, such as protected area establishment, ex-situ conservation, recovery planning for species and ecosystems, specific threat management (e.g. disease, fire), and biodiversity off-sets, to global scale inter-governmental policy developments such as the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Convention on International Trade on Endangered Species (CITES), all approaches based on multiple values of biodiversity, including those values not related to humans. We discuss the in-situ and ex-situ approaches to biological diversity conservation within the context of the 1992 CBD.
In-situ Biodiversity Conservation
In situ conservation is defined as the on-site conservation of genetic resources in natural populations of plants or animal species such as forest genetic resources, in natural populations of tree and animal species. The Convention on Biological Diversity 1992 defines it to mean ‘the conservation of ecosystems and natural habitats and the maintenance and recovery of viable populations of species in their natural surroundings and, in the case of domesticated or cultivated species, in the surroundings where they have developed their distinctive properties’. Notably, Article 8 of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) specifies in-situ conservation as the primary conservation strategy, and states that ex-situ measures should play a supportive role to reach conservation targets.
Article 8 of CBD provides that in order to promote in-situ conservation, each Contracting Party should, as far as possible and as appropriate: (a) Establish a system of protected areas or areas where special measures need to be taken to conserve biological diversity; (b) Develop, where necessary, guidelines for the selection, establishment and management of protected areas or areas where special measures need to be taken to conserve biological diversity; (c) Regulate or manage biological resources important for the conservation of biological diversity whether within or outside protected areas, with a view to ensuring their conservation and sustainable use; (d) Promote the protection of ecosystems, natural habitats and the maintenance of viable populations of species in natural surroundings; (e) Promote environmentally sound and sustainable development in areas adjacent to protected areas with a view to furthering protection of these areas; and (f) Rehabilitate and restore degraded ecosystems and promote the recovery of threatened species, inter alia, through the development and implementation of plans or other management strategies.
Further, each contracting party is required to (g) Establish or maintain means to regulate, manage or control the risks associated with the use and release of living modified organisms resulting from biotechnology which are likely to have adverse environmental impacts that could affect the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity, taking also into account the risks to human health; (h) Prevent the introduction of, control or eradicate those alien species which threaten ecosystems, habitats or species; (i) Endeavour to provide the conditions needed for compatibility between present uses and the conservation of biological diversity and the sustainable use of its components; (j) Subject to its national legislation, respect, preserve and maintain knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous and local communities embodying traditional lifestyles relevant for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity and promote their wider application with the approval and involvement of the holders of such knowledge, innovations and practices and encourage the equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the utilization of such knowledge, innovations and practices; (k) Develop or maintain necessary legislation and/or other regulatory provisions for the protection of threatened species and populations; (l) Where a significant adverse effect on biological diversity has been determined pursuant to Article 7, regulate or manage the relevant processes and categories of activities; and (m) Cooperate in providing financial and other support for in-situ conservation outlined in subparagraphs (a) to (l) above, particularly to developing countries.
In-situ initiatives beyond protected areas may thus include: habitat restoration, recovery or rehabilitation; strategies for the sustainable use and management of biological resources; recovery programmes for nationally or sub-nationally threatened or endangered wild species; on-farm agricultural biodiversity conservation targeted at traditional crop varieties and crop wild relatives; genetic reserve conservation, that is, monitoring of genetic diversity in natural wild populations within a delineated area (known as genetic sanctuaries or gene management zones); control of threats to biodiversity such as invasive alien species, living modified organisms or over exploitation; preservation and maintenance of traditional knowledge and practices; and implementation of the regulatory, legislation, management or other frameworks needed to deliver the protection of species or habitats.
Some commentators have observed that while agriculture and protected areas are sometimes seen as opposite ends of a spectrum, in fact, they can play important complementary roles, especially when the protected areas are managed in ways explicitly designed to support agricultural development. Notably, in situ conservation of wild relatives and forest tree resources focuses on responding to the drivers and pressures that threaten the natural populations so as to maintain the genetic diversity and geographic range of species, thereby maximizing their potential to respond to natural or human made environmental change.
Ex-situ Biodiversity Conservation
Ex situ conservation is defined as the relocation of endangered or rare species from their natural habitats to protected areas equipped for their protection and preservation, as an essential alternative strategy when in situ conservation is inadequate. The Convention on Biological Diversity 1992 defines “ex-situ conservation” to mean the conservation of components of biological diversity outside their natural habitats. Ex-situ conservation involves maintenance and breeding of endangered plants and animals under partially or wholly controlled conditions in specific areas including zoo, gardens, nurseries, etc. That is, the conservation of selected plants and animals in selected areas outside their natural habitat is known as ex-situ conservation.
Article 9 of CBD provides for ex-situ conservation and states that: each Contracting Party should, as far as possible and as appropriate, and predominantly for the purpose of complementing in-situ measures: (a) Adopt measures for the ex-situ conservation of components of biological diversity, preferably in the country of origin of such components; (b) Establish and maintain facilities for ex-situ conservation of and research on plants, animals and micro- organisms, preferably in the country of origin of genetic resources; (c) Adopt measures for the recovery and rehabilitation of threatened species and for their reintroduction into their natural habitats under appropriate conditions; (d) Regulate and manage collection of biological resources from natural habitats for ex-situ conservation purposes so as not to threaten ecosystems and in-situ populations of species, except where special temporary ex-situ measures are required under subparagraph (c) above; and (e) Cooperate in providing financial and other support for exsitu conservation outlined in subparagraphs (a) to (d) above and in the establishment and maintenance of ex- situ conservation facilities in developing countries.
It has been observed that during recent years, dramatic progress has been made with the development of new conservation techniques for nonorthodox and vegetatively propagated species, and the current ex situ conservation concepts should be modified accordingly to accommodate these technological advances. However, it is suggested that considering the fact that the requirements for optimal conservation vary from species to species, as well as the available infrastructural and human resources, it is important to consider all these aspects as well as the wider socio-economic conditions under which a given conservation effort takes place when deciding how to optimize these parameters into the conservation strategy.
The fundamental difference between the two main conservation strategies are: ex situ conservation involves the sampling, transfer, and storage of target taxa from the target area, whereas in situ conservation involves the designation, management, and monitoring of target taxa where they are encountered. It is suggested that each ecosystem should be managed depending on its biodiversity composition and the choice of the management approach should also be informed by the same. If Kenya and the rest of the African countries are to achieve sustainable development goals through effective biodiversity conservation, they must not only embrace the global best practices in biodiversity conservation but must ensure that the same are entrenched and implemented through their domestic laws on environmental conservation.
*This article is an extract from the Article: “Approaches to Biodiversity Conservation: Embracing Global Resource Conservation Best Practices,” (2021) Journal of Conflict Management and Sustainable Development Volume 7(4), p. 29 by Dr. Kariuki Muigua, PhD, Kenya’s ADR Practitioner of the Year 2021 (Nairobi Legal Awards), ADR Publisher of the Year 2021 and ADR Lifetime Achievement Award 2021 (CIArb Kenya). Dr. Kariuki Muigua is a foremost Environmental Law and Natural Resources Lawyer and Scholar, Sustainable Development Advocate and Conflict Management Expert in Kenya. Dr. Kariuki Muigua is a Senior Lecturer of Environmental Law and Dispute resolution at the University of Nairobi School of Law and The Center for Advanced Studies in Environmental Law and Policy (CASELAP). He has published numerous books and articles on Environmental Law, Environmental Justice Conflict Management, Alternative Dispute Resolution and Sustainable Development. Dr. Muigua is also a Chartered Arbitrator, an Accredited Mediator, the Africa Trustee of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and the Managing Partner of Kariuki Muigua & Co. Advocates. Dr. Muigua is recognized among the top 5 leading lawyers and dispute resolution experts in Kenya by the Chambers Global Guide 2022.
References
Muigua, K., “Approaches to Biodiversity Conservation: Embracing Global Resource Conservation Best Practices,” (2021) Journal of Conflict Management and Sustainable Development Volume 7(4), p. 29.