|
|
 |
|
|
|
Precaution – the “precautionary principle” or “precautionary approach” – is a
response to uncertainty, in the face of risks to health or the environment. In general, it involves acting to avoid serious or irreversible potential harm, despite
lack of scientific certainty as to the likelihood, magnitude, or causation of that harm.
Precaution is now an established principle of environmental governance, prominent
in law, policy and management instruments at international, regional and domestic level, across such diverse areas as pollution, toxic chemicals, food and
phytosanitary standards, fisheries management, species introductions and wildlife trade.
Applying precaution in natural resource management (NRM) and biodiversity
conservation is clearly essential.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
D.Newton/TRAFFIC
|
|
|
|
|
Harvesting
yellowwood trees in South Africa
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fundamental uncertainties derive from our fragmentary understanding of species’ biology and
complex ecosystem dynamics, and abundant stochastic variation in environmental parameters.
|
|
|
|
Uncertainty is not just ecological, but also surrounds the potential impacts of forces such as
globalisation and decentralisation, effects of movements of global markets and trade regimes, and the effectiveness and utility of conservation measures such as protected
areas, use of incentives, or strict regulatory approaches.
|
|
|
|
Such uncertainty underpins the arguments both of those exploiting resources, who
demand evidence that exploitation causes harm before accepting limitations, and those opposing, who seek to limit exploitation in the absence of clear indications
of sustainability.
The immediate and obvious importance of precaution in the context of NRM and
biodiversity conservation, where impacts can clearly be both serious and irreversible, has been recognised through its endorsement by all major
biodiversity-related multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs), as well as myriad policy and legislative instruments at all levels.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
