296 • Technologies To Maintain Biological Diversity 



make significant contributions to maintaining 

 biological diversity. Emergence of a Wildlands 

 Management Policy at the World Bank may, 

 in part, reflect congressional and public atten- 

 tion on the subject. The recently approved pol- 

 icy sets guidelines for the management of nat- 

 ural areas in bank projects. These include 

 avoiding conversion of w^ildlands of special 

 concern, giving preference to using already 

 converted lands, compensating for the loss of 

 wildlands by setting aside similar areas, and 

 preserving relevant wildland areas. 



To maintain momentum, however, continued 

 congressional oversight and input from U.S. 



executive directors is likely to be needed, such 

 as in efforts to enlist greater environmental ex- 

 pertise within the banks. Language contained 

 in the fiscal year 1986 appropriations bill clearly 

 reflects congressional interest on this subject 

 (21). 



Consideration could also be given to promot- 

 ing the approach to diversity maintenance em- 

 bodied in the recent World Bank pohcy. To this 

 end, U.S. representatives could be encouraged 

 to establish a similar approach within CIDIE. 



PROMOTION OF CAPACITY AND INITIATIVES IN 

 DEVELOPING COUNTRIES 



A large number of initiatives at the interna- 

 tional level have addressed various aspects of 

 diversity maintenance in developing countries 

 (see ch. 10). These range from international 

 meetings to treaties and conventions such as 

 the Convention on International Trade in En- 

 dangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna. 

 Such initiatives can be important in raising 

 awareness of the issue and of national respon- 

 sibilities. They can effectively set standards, 

 monitor progress, serve as promotional work, 

 and establish legal norms (8). An international 

 perspective also enables interested parties to 

 define global priorities. However, translating 

 these initiatives into concrete activities requires 

 that they be implemented and supported at the 

 national and local levels, underlining the im- 

 portance of developing national capacities and 

 constituencies to address loss of diversity. 



The responsibility for maintaining biological 

 diversity within a country's borders ultimately 

 falls on national governments. Yet it can be ar- 

 gued that national governments have respon- 

 sibilities to the international community. Avoid- 

 ing loss of genetic resources that may meet the 

 needs of future generations and maintaining 

 diversity because it represents the biological 

 heritage of the planet are commonly heard argu- 

 ments in this regard. 



These arguments may be insufficient or un- 

 convincing for many developing countries, 

 especially when national resources would have 

 to be devoted to maintaining diversity, yet the 

 benefits would accrue outside their borders. In 

 other cases, a country may acknowledge its na- 

 tional interests in maintaining diversity but lack 

 the resources — both financial and technical — 

 to stem the loss. 



Six priority areas where U.S. bilateral assis- 

 tance could promote abilities and initiatives in 

 developing countries have been identified: 

 building public support, establishing an infor- 

 mation base, building institutional support, 

 promoting planning and management, increas- 

 ing technical capacity, and increasing eco- 

 nomic benefits derived from wild species. Al- 

 though described separately, these areas are 

 mutually reinforcing. 



Building Public Support 



Creating a favorable climate of public opin- 

 ion is critical to the success of conservation pro- 

 grams. Developing countries commonly lack 

 an organized base of citizen support; in the few 

 cases where support has existed, in Ecuador 

 for example, it has been a key element in ef- 

 forts to launch programs. 



