Deke, O.: Environmental policy instruments for conserving global biodiversity

Abstract

Anthropogenic interference in the earth’s ecosystems has and continues to cause an unprecedented loss of global biodiversity, comparable in scope and scale to ‘mass extinctions’ in the distant past. The net effect of this loss is unknown, although human wellbeing may well be adversely affected. One of the first international attempts to deal with biodiversity loss can be seen with the creation of the convention on biological diversity (CBD) that was adopted by a majority of the world’s states in 1992. In Environmental Policy Instruments for Conserving Global Biodiversity, Oliver Deke sought to address two issues at the heart of discussions about the sustainable use of biodiversity and policy to enable this. First, the regulation of cross-border trade in genetic resources and whether the commercialisation of this trade creates effective incentives for its preservation. Second, the protection of biodiversity and whether or not this can be organised effectively at the international level. In a nutshell, the book focuses on bioprospecting and protected areas policy and their effectiveness and efficiency in preserving biodiversity. While these are both undoubtedly key planks in biodiversity policy, more could have been made of other policy instruments such as payments for environmental services (PES) and ecotourism that have recently been gaining popularity and policy interest. As such other instruments are referred too only where they might be relevant to protected areas or bioprospecting. Toaddressthesetwobroadlydefinedissues,theauthortakesaneconomicapproach whileacknowledgingtheneedforanintegratedapproach.Giventhisneed,thequestion that follows is what does this study add to the burgeoning economic literature on biodiversity? At a total length of 355 pages, much of this literature is exhaustively reviewed in the book. It has also been undertaken in a logical and clear manner.