- Offizieller Beitrag
The increasing urban population, climate change and loss of biodiversity are all strongly connected. With twothirds of a considerably larger world population predicted to be living in urban areas by 2050, the "Battle for life on Earth" will be lost or won in urban regions.The role of urbanisation in the loss and degradation of global biodiversity was acknowledged in the local Agenda 21 processes and in the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in 1992 and has been discussed in the subsequent eight Conferences of the Parties. Whilst cities pose major challenges for protecting biodiversity, the opportunities they offer have, so far, been understated. A major step toward recognizing the potential of cities for biodiversity was made in Curitiba (Brazil) in March 2007, when a global partnership in "Cities and Biodiversity" was initiated by 34 mayors and numerous high level officials from cities across all continents in order to engage local authorities to protect and sustain their unique contribution to global biodiversity.From the 21st to 24th May 2008 in Erfurt (Germany) 400 scientists, planners and other practitioners from around 50 countries summarized for the first time in a global context the current scientific and practical approaches of implementing the CBD in urban areas. This declaration reflects the views of the participants at the "Urbio 2008" conference that urban biodiversity is a vital part of achieving the aims of the Convention on Biological Diversity.