Taking Action for Nature Through Deep Listening and Inclusion

UN Convention on Biological Diversity COP17 Opening Plenary, Yerevan, Armenia / Jennifer Dowdell

It is difficult to find just one lesson from my time at the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) COP17 in Yerevan, Armenia. It was a week of emotional highs and lows as 15,000 attendees sat in contemplation and dialogue around the issues driving biodiversity loss. Each session reinforced the gravity of the biodiversity crisis and the heavy lift we all have ahead of us to meet the goals of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. The framework calls for 30 percent of all terrestrial and marine ecosystems to be protected and restored by 2030.

The COP17 meetings were a humbling space: hallways filled with hundreds of languages being spoken, the colors of traditional and cultural dress like a bouquet of beautiful wildflowers in late summer, and the determination by all to coalesce around meaningful action to address biodiversity in our home countries thousands of miles away.

Underlying all of these discussions is the fact that biodiversity is central to every decision we make in our daily lives - from what we consume and how we consume it, to how we work and live. A few things are certain: We must act, there is no time to lose, and through collective action we can protect the species and ecosystems that remain. Our lives and livelihoods depend on it.

The convention made clear we must focus on collective action informed by science and authentic Indigenous participation. Real change occurs through inclusive processes at the grassroots level where diverse voices are heeded. A myriad of sessions were devoted to the collective impact of underrepresented groups, including Indigenous and traditional communities, women, and youth.

Indigenous peoples and local communities don't yet command a level of sovereignty over land-use decisions that aligns with their deep knowledge and understanding of ecosystem processes and ecological restoration potential. Shared scientific data and assessments are also foundational to guiding appropriate conservation and restoration of natural areas in support of biodiversity.

These conversations brought to mind the importance of the tenants of Landscape Architecture 2040: ASLA Climate & Biodiversity Action Plan, namely the process developed for biodiversity. We need to engage in deep listening at a bigger table. Years ago, famed chef José Andrés said we need "longer tables, not higher walls" to build unity, connection, and peace. This is strikingly relevant to the work of landscape architects and many other planning and design professions.

Meaningful efforts to center biodiversity in our work means engaging with the scientists who are actively tracking and assessing the changing conditions in our natural world. And it means engaging traditional and cultural knowledge holders in meaningful ways to allow their role to be one of collaborator, co-designer, and lead decision-maker.

Many Indigenous people have been fighting for generations for their knowledge to be valued and their voices to be respected and heeded in the international sphere. During the closing Plenary of COP17 on October 30, 195 nations and the European Union came to an historic agreement on the inclusion of Indigenous voices and local communities in the official proceedings through a new "subsidiary body" to the UN CBD. While not as strong as the Indigenous leadership in Yerevan would have liked, it is a significant step in inclusive decision-making for biodiversity.

Indigenous leaders at COP17 / Jennifer Dowdell

This last-minute agreement in Armenia gives Indigenous groups standing with subsidiary bodies on technical and scientific knowledge to support the implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework. Bringing these groups in from the sidelines is the basis for full and effective participation of Indigenous peoples and local communities in decision-making. Many important Indigenous organizations will now be able to shape global outcomes through their advocacy, databases, and tools.

As I pause to contemplate the overwhelming amount of information shared at COP17, I wonder if there is more we as practitioners can do to pause and listen deeply. We must ask ourselves: What are we doing to support biodiversity in our work? How are we listening to the ecosystems and the people who have lived in these places far longer than we have?

Deep listening and evaluating the landscape from the very first moments of a project must focus on biodiversity and knowledge-holders who understand the story of the lands and waters. It is incumbent on us to ensure that a broad diversity of voices are at the table to share their knowledge and be active participants in design. The voices of Indigenous peoples, traditional and cultural practice, along with scientific inquiry and assessment - all these voices - need to be part of decision-making on how our landscapes are shaped and stewarded.

Our existence is woven into a world where land, water, trees, plants, and animal life - from large predators to microscopic bacteria - converge in the home we call Earth. It is brimming with life and beauty beyond comprehension. And it sometimes is easiest to be reminded of that when we are far from home and surrounded by strangers in unknown landscapes, like the basalt gorges, rugged canyons, and alpine lakes of Armenia.
Landscape of Armenia / Jennifer Dowdell

We can ill afford to disregard how special biodiversity is and how important our role is in stewarding it during our brief time here. More than recognizing this, more than respecting it, we need to be in awe of it. Our actions to transform the landscape must consider, as a first principle, the conservation of biodiversity in all its forms. And we must do this as a collective, listening and engaging with communities with deep respect and humility.