BIOFORUM Reducing the conflict between biodiversity conservation and economic development

The purpose of the BIOFORUM project is to reduce the conflict between the conservation of biodiversity and economic development, particularly within the following thematic areas:

• boreal, Mediterranean and temperate forests,
• grasslands (humid and dry),
• uplands (including alpine regions)
• riverine and freshwater habitats (inland wetlands),
• mixed agricultural / semi-natural habitat landscapes.

Objectives and aims:

• To create a European forum - BIOFORUM - for dialogue between scientists and stakeholders to reduce the conflict between the conservation of biodiversity and economic development;
• To analyse the principal sources of conflict between biodiversity conservation and economic development in key thematic areas;
• To identify measures for conflict resolution, through attenuating or avoiding negative impacts, with an assessment of their practicability (with regard to economic development) and their legitimacy (in terms of Community legislation / regulations);
• To identify current best practices in biodiversity management, particularly where these relate to biodiversity-related conflict resolution;
• To identify and evaluate methods for monitoring progress in resolving conflicts, including those relating to the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) proposals for a core set of indicators.

Major project outcomes include:

• The identification of generic conflicts between the conservation of biodiversity and human activities in five major broad habitat types
• The development of the concept of spatial planning in the management of conflicts between biodiversity conservation and human activities in Europe
• The production of a guide to conflict management in Europe including good practice guidelines on how to manage a conflict, potential conflict management tools and methods, and a framework for monitoring conflicts and their management

Further information:

BIOFORUM project.