What Does Adaptation to Climate Change Mean for Biodiversity Law? An International Roundtable Discussion

When
June 3, 2009 12:27 pm — 12:27 pm
Where
Washington, DC

Climate change is expected to reshape how countries and communities govern biological resources through changing biological niches, new diseases, expansion of invasive species, a growing number of endangered species, and other threats. At the same time, existing legal frameworks governing the use and management of biological resources are ill-equipped to cope with the new threats.

This international roundtable discussion exploree the implications of climate change adaptation for laws governing biological resources. Lawyers from six developing countries examined the capacity of existing national biodiversity laws to adapt to climate change. They also explored the expanding role of international and civil society institutions, discussed governance capacities and resource constraints that limit the efficacy of legislative mandates, and explored innovative options to improve upon existing laws through adaptive management frameworks.

Speakers:
Manuel Pulgar-Vidal
, Executive Director, Sociedad Peruana de Derecho Ambiental (SPDA) (Peru)
Nelson Pimentel, Environmental Attorney, Instituto de Abogados para la Proteccion del Medio Ambiente (INSAPROMA) (Dominican Republic)
Kenneth Kakuru, Executive Director, Greenwatch (Uganda)
Lalaina Rakotoson Randriatsitohaina, Team Leader, Development and Environmental Law Center (DELC) (Madagascar)
Kunzang Kunzang, Legal Officer, National Environment Commission (Bhutan)
Hahn Vu, Deputy Dean of Economics Law Faculty, Hanoi University of Law (Vietnam)
Tran Trang, Director, Law and Policy of Sustainable Development (LPSD) (Vietnam)

Panels were moderated by Carl Bruch, Co-Director of ELI’s International Programs, and Scott Schang, ELI’s Vice-President for Climate and Sustainability.

Agenda

Welcome, Overview, and Introductions
Moderated by Carl Bruch and Scott Schang, Environmental Law Institute

Realizing the Law’s Promise in Latin America
Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, Sociedad Peruana de Derecho Ambiental (Peru)
Nelson Pimentel, Instituto de Abogados para la Proteccion del Medio Ambiente (Dominican Republic)

Building Laws and Institutions for African People and Wildlife
Kenneth Kakuru, Greenwatch (Uganda)
Lalaina Rakotoson Randriatsitohaina, Development and Environmental Law Center (Madagascar)

Growth and Constraints in Asia
Kunzang Kunzang, National Environment Commission (Bhutan)
Hahn Vu and Tran Trang, Law and Policy of Sustainable Development (Vietnam)

Conclusions
Moderated by Carl Bruch and Scott Schang, Environmental Law Institute

Downloads:
Kunzang (Bhutan) PowerPoint
Kenneth Kakuru (Uganda) PowerPoint
Lalaina Rakotoson (Madagascar) PowerPoint
Manuel Pulgar-Vidal (Peru) PowerPoint
Tran Trang & Hanh Vu (Vietnam) PowerPoint
Audio Recording Part one
Audio Recording Part two