Hutton social scientist to take part in Convention on Biological Diversity science forum

"The request is recognition of our interdisciplinary expertise on environmental management at the James Hutton Institute

Dr Kerry Waylen, a social scientist based at the James Hutton Institute’s Social, Economic and Geographic Sciences group in Aberdeen, has been invited to speak at a Science Forum preceding the next meeting of the Convention on Biological Diversity in Cancun, Mexico.

The Science Forum is a targeted forum for presentations and facilitated discussions by leading scientists, attended by decision-makers from many governments, as well as intergovernmental agencies and the business sector. The Forum’s discussions will inform a Roadmap for Mainstreaming Biodiversity that will be presented at the subsequent meeting of member states at the 13^th Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Participants are asked to identify key gaps in current understanding of how to integrate and generalise knowledge of biodiversity, with a specific focus on how science can contribute to this understanding, thus helping to set the future science agenda on these issues.

Dr Waylen said: “It is a privilege to contribute to the Convention, since shapes how we manage nature in nearly every country across the world. The request is recognition of our interdisciplinary expertise on environmental management at the James Hutton Institute.”

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is the supra-national, legally binding convention that sets targets and provides guidance for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. It opened for signature at the Earth Summit in Rio, in 1992, and is seen as the key driver for sustainable development.

It is estimated that nearly 10,000 delegates will take part in the meeting of the CBD, including representatives of the countries parties, observer countries, international organisations and others. Discussions are expected to focus on agreements and commitments for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, as well as the implementation of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and the Aichi goals.