Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC)
The Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC) is an international initiative aimed at safeguarding plant diversity worldwide, responding to the alarming estimate that approximately 15 percent of plant species face extinction. Established in 2002 through a collaborative effort among the parties of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, the GSPC emphasizes the urgent need for coordinated conservation actions. It outlines six broad tasks, which include conducting research on plant diversity, conserving species critical to human survival, and educating the public about the importance of plants. To operationalize these tasks, the strategy identifies sixteen specific targets, such as cataloging known plant species and protecting vital biodiversity areas.
Since its inception, the GSPC has seen significant engagement, with numerous countries developing national strategies and committing to its goals. By 2009, 189 countries had endorsed the GSPC, highlighting its global reach and the collective commitment to plant conservation. The strategy fosters the establishment of networks and training programs designed to enhance conservation efforts on both national and international levels. Through these collaborative endeavors, the GSPC aims to create a sustainable framework for the protection of plant diversity, which is essential for the health of ecosystems and human societies.
Subject Terms
Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC)
Date: Adopted April 2002
The Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC) aims to protect plant species from extinction. Estimates indicate that there are as many as 300,000 plant species in the world and that more than 9,000 of them are facing extinction. GSPC provides a framework for international and regional cooperation to protect plant diversity.
Background
At the end of the twentieth century, scientists estimated that as much as 15 percent of the world’s plant species were at risk of extinction. In 1999, at a meeting of the International Botanical Congress held in St. Louis, Missouri, an urgent call was made for an international effort to preserve plant diversity. In 2000, a smaller group of botanists from conservation organizations met in Grand Canary, Canary Islands, and drew up the Gran Canaria Declaration on climate Change and Plant Conservation. In April, 2002, this declaration, in turn, was presented to and expanded by the 180 parties of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, who unanimously called for a Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC). To help countries understand and address the specific targets of the GSPC, several international and American plant conservation organizations joined to form the Global Partnership for Plant Conservation in 2003. As of 2009, the United States had signed but not ratified the Convention on Biological Diversity.
Provisions
The strategy presents six broad tasks: conducting research and establishing databases to produce a clear record of existing plant diversity; conserving plant diversity, particularly those plants that are directly important to human survival; controlling the use and exchange of plant diversity to sustain diversity and to provide fair distribution of benefits; educating the public about the importance of plant diversity; training an expanded corps of conservation officers; and establishing networks and organizations to expand the capacity for conserving plant diversity. To accomplish these tasks, the strategy identified sixteen specific international targets to be reached by 2010. These targets included compiling a list of all of the known plant species, assuring that no endangered plant species were harmed through international trade, and ensuring the protection of 50 percent of the most important plant diversity areas. Each nation created its own internal targets, in collaboration with other nations.
Impact on Resource Use
A 2008 progress report to the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity reported substantial progress on eight of the sixteen specific targets and was generally optimistic about the chances for meeting several of the targets by 2010, thanks to enhanced national, regional, and international structures and strategies. Several countries, including Ireland, the United Kingdom, and South Africa, have drawn up aggressive plans to protect biodiversity, and in 2007, China announced a massive “National Strategy for Plant Conservation,” hoping to save five thousand threatened species from extinction. By 2009, 189 countries had endorsed the GSPC.
Bibliography
Botanic Gardens Conservation International.
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).