* The World
Conservation Union (IUCN) is an umbrella organization of nearly a thousand NGOs,
based in Gland (Switzerland). http://www.iucn.org |
Ecuador’s
former environment minister Yolanda Kakabadse once said that “my heart is in conservation,
but my head tells me I must be fair to my country.” Today, as head of the World Conservation
Union*, she calls for a better understanding between North and South
Do you believe that the current environmental agenda is increasingly driven by rich
countries?
A majority of industrialized countries are more active than developing ones in
international debates. For one, they have the means: it’s so costly to participate
that you often find a huge team of highly technical people from developed countries
and few representatives from developing ones. Recent debates on climate change and
biodiversity have been clear signs that some countries in the South might not have
the capacity to enter all the technical debates.
Do you believe that countries like Ecuador are targets of eco-imperialism?
I think the term is overrated. I’m not sure we’re sending out the right message
with it. There are clearly signs of developed countries trying to impose on others.
But on the other hand, developing countries have gained a lot of information about
environmental protection over the past decade through these negotiations. There is
obviously an interest on everyone’s part to see that the natural resources and the
environment of the planet are dealt with. And most of these resources are concentrated
in the tropical areas, where many developing countries are.
It’s not just a North-South issue: sometimes I see signs of “imperialism” within
our own countries, when a sector or group tries to impose a management pattern or
policy.
As an activist, you campaigned against shrimp farming and had to defend that industry
when you were a minister (1998- 2000). How did you reconcile that?
Is it fair to tell Ecuador not to harvest shrimps–a major export–because the
mangroves are an important eco-system, or should the answer be to explore whether
it is possible to harvest shrimps and protect mangroves at the same time? I’m absolutely
convinced that you can do both, at least in the case of shrimps. You just move the
shrimp pools a little further back from the mangroves and achieve the two goals.
Did you actually manage to do that?
We did in some places, but the majority of the pools had already been built where
the mangroves were. It was not just the industry that was to blame: it’s only in
the past decade that people in the North and South have become aware of the importance
of mangrove conservation.
How would you have reacted if other countries had sought to impose a trade ban on
certain products from Ecuador?
I would be totally against trade sanctions. We destroyed the mangroves without
realizing their value. To come 30 years later and blame us for doing something wrong
is not the right attitude. Instead we should come up with a way to stop environmental
damage while enhancing the capacity of a country like Ecuador to produce goods for
the world market.
Has the relationship between North and South evolved on environmental issues?
There is a better understanding in the North that imposing solutions won’t take
us anywhere, that teamwork is essential. The South, meanwhile, has realized that
it does hold some decision-making power. Developed countries certainly have a better
appreciation of poor countries’ concerns, partly because more information is available.
The building of partnerships between the two sides has also increased.
Do you believe that conflicting interests over the conventions currently being formulated
can be resolved?
The big challenge is how to strike a balance between conservation and development–sustainable
development. That is what we must fight for. Also, there’s no process in the world
that doesn’t involve conflict. Conflicts aren’t necessarily bad, they arise from
differences of opinion based on different cultures, expectations, backgrounds, drives
and ambitions. We have to invest in generating the capacity worldwide to manage these
conflicts and understand each other’s points of view better.
What would you advise both sides to do?
You have to understand the other culture, and both sides must do this by getting
into the other’s shoes, which entails looking at values, needs and conditions within
any culture. That would improve the relationships of different continents and countries
dramatically. |
