Local Authorities and Biodiversity

The Plan of Action was endorsed at COP 10!

On 29 October 2010, the Plan of Action on Sub-national Governments, Cities, and other Local Authorities for Biodiversity was endorsed, and decision X/22 including the Plan was adopted by 193 CBD Parties at COP 10. The Plan calls for capacity building and dissemination of best practices and for an “assessment of the links and opportunities between urbanization and biodiversity based on the third edition of the Global Biodiversity Outlook” to be produced by 2012, and aims at providing national governments with opportunities to work together with sub-national governments, cities, and other local authorities on biodiversity strategies and action plans. Please have a look at Decision X/22 and its annex The Plan of Action on Sub-National Governments, Cities and Other Local Authorities on Biodiversity.

The Newsletter on Cities and Biodiversity

The CBD Secretariat has published the second issue of "Cities and Biodiversity Newsletter" with support from the Global Partnership on Cities and Biodiversity. Please click here. (PDF)

International Year of Biodiversity (IYB) 2010

Consult the IYB webpages to find out more about the global successes of IYB.

Participant Cities in the World

Biodiversity is first and foremost a local issue, and local governments are the front-line guardians of natural resources.

To discover the work being done around the world, read about the efforts of leading-edge cities in our case studies, which provide information provided by local authorities and posted under one of the following five themes:

• Integrating biodiversity into urban planning
• Promoting biodiversity-friendly urban development
• Managing urban biodiversity
• Ensuring that business practices enhance biodiversity, and
• Promoting awareness of biodiversity to urban communities

To learn more about getting involved, read an overview of the role of local authorities with regard to the implementation of the Convention, introduction to COP decisions relating to the work of local authorities, and other ways for local authorities of getting involved.

Visit our

• Information resources: additional information on local authorities and biodiversity as well as a list of partner organizations and links to their substantive work regarding the participation of local authorities in the battle for life on Earth.
• Calendar of events related to local authorities and biodiversity
• News and Photo gallery