Striking a New Balance - Nature for All

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Sep 06, 2016
by Jessica Franzetti
Striking a New Balance - Nature for All

Salzburg Global will play an active role in the upcoming World Conservation Congress in Hawai’i, expanding the cross-sector partnerships and projects catalyzed by our Parks for the Planet Forum. 

Participants gather for the opening night of the 2016 IUCN World Congress in Hawai'i. Photo by Eric McNail.Hiking through a wooded forest, watching the sun cascade over a tranquil lake, or simply inhaling fresh air, are some of the many ways in which humans find solace in nature. However, nature’s benefits to society go far beyond the feel-good factor. An increasing body of evidence points to the major contributions to human health and well-being that access to nature can play. Such benefits cannot be taken for granted, especially for those living on the margins. By 2045, over two-thirds of the world’s population will live in cities and towns, with most of that increase occurring in Asia and Africa. As urbanization becomes almost ubiquitous in old and new cities, lifestyle diseases are on the rise and both young and old face face real challenges in connecting to nature and enjoying safe outdoor recreation. Without this vital link, understanding and support for preserving precious ecosystems and natural capital may rapidly decline with serious long-term consequences. With climate change and environmental threats to the planet no longer looming in a distant future, it is clear that the time to act is now. Building on the Paris Climate Change Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals adopted end 2015, the IUCN World Conservation Congress from 1-10 September is aptly titled: Planet at the Crossroads.Salzburg Global programs have long recognized the pivotal importance of social, environmental and economic sustainability for global progress and for healthy societies. Clare Shine, Salzburg Global Vice President and Chief Program Officer, will attend the Congress and co-host workshops with several of Salzburg Global’s institutional partners, as well as engaging with key leaders from around the world.Before coming to Salzburg, Clare spent over twenty years as an leading environmental lawyer and policy advisor for inter-governmental organizations, governments, NGOs and the private sector. She is an Associate of the Institute for European Environmental Policy and a member of the IUCN Commission on Environmental Law, the IUCN Species Survival Commission, and the Transboundary Protected Area Taskforce. The Congress will include a variety of prominent speakers, panel discussions and interactive pavilions. Clare will facilitate a high-level workshop entitled Healthy Parks Healthy People: The economic and social case for transforming conservation and health policy and practice. International panelists and keynote speaker Jon Jarvis – Director of the US National Park Service, currently celebrating its Centennial Year - will discuss practical initiatives and solutions to establish a culture of health that prioritizes nature-based solutions and reduces vulnerability to climate-related and environmental challenges.Salzburg Global’s Parks for the Planet Forum, launched in 2015, is a major collaborative initiative to build a ten-year leadership and action platform to deliver the Promise of Sydney – the ambitious cross- sector framework developed by participants from 160 countries at the IUCN World Parks Congress in 2014. The Forum seeks to position nature at the heart of human health, wellbeing and security and sustainable economic growth, focusing on cross-sector partnerships and innovation.  The Forum’s inaugural session last November tackled the topic of Nature, Health and a New Urban Generation. Thirty Fellows worked intensively to identify blockages and frame a call to action for all stakeholders and sectors committed to integrate the health benefits of nature and safe outdoor recreation into conservation, health, finance, and urban and regional planning policies and investment. The Salzburg Challenge for Nature, Health and a New Urban Generation emphasizes that we have enough evidence to act, and that cities and local governments can provide exceptional leadership on green infrastructure and urban parks. The Challenge sets out ten steps to catalyze robust action to encourage nature-based solutions and mobilize cross-generational audiences.   The Forum’s 2016 meeting will focus on The Next Frontier: Transboundary Conservation for Biodiversity and Peace, building on high-level outcomes from the World Conservation Congress. In Hawai’i, Clare will join with our partners, including the Korean National Parks Service and the MAVA Foundation, to explore cross-sector approaches to transboundary conservation for biodiversity, regional economic development and human security in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Congress debate and resolutions will undoubtedly provide rich material for discussion during Salzburg Global’s session, to be held from 9-13 November 2016.


To learn more about Salzburg Global's inaugural Parks for the Planet Forum: Nature, Health and a New Urban Generation, visit the session page www.salzburgglobal.org/go/557.