Stuck in the clouds: Bringing the CBD's Ecosystem Approach for conservation management down to Earth in Canada and Germany

SummaryIn order to successfully conduct integrated management of land, water and living resources the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has developed a strategy called the Ecosystem Approach (EA). This paper analyses the obstacles preventing the implementation of the EA in two case study countries, Canada and Germany. We briefly describe the EA, followed by the results of literature research of protected area management and the EA, as well as structured telephone interviews conducted with managers of large protected areas in Germany and expert interviews in the Canadian Provinces of Manitoba and Ontario, in addition to the German Federal State of Brandenburg all conducted in 2005-2006. Results reveal that the EA is faced with a wide range of barriers and its implementation seems to be stuck in the political arena, not reaching the practical level. Most notable were issues concerning general knowledge of the EA, top-down information sharing, both administrative and cross-sectoral cooperation and stakeholder involvement. Major outcomes are the need for more cooperation and knowledge sharing, as well as for a correct combination of both top-down and bottom-up approaches to ecosystem management. The results partially reflect eight general obstacles considered in a Strategic Plan of the CBD, with the exception of socio-economic factors and natural phenomena and environmental change. We rather see these as issues demonstrating the urgent need for implementing the EA. In particular, climate change increases the need of the implementation of the EA and actually could lead to a broader acceptance of its principles.