GSPC Target 16

Introduction

Networks supporting plant conservation activities provide the means to share experiences, exchange data, encourage professional development and build the capacity of the plant conservation community.

Networks are not constrained to follow any particular model and often extend across political or sectoral boundaries. For smaller organizations, participating in networks provides a means to contribute to larger projects, benefit from mutual exercises in capacity building and learn from other partners. For larger organizations, networks provide efficient means to coordinate projects across large distances and aggregate observations and results.

The majority of networks are self-organising, arising in response to needs and opportunities.

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Many different models exist for networks, ranging from informal, sometimes transient efforts to share information or cooperate on specific projects, to large national and international associations with paid staff and secretariats.

In some respects the GSPC itself could be called a grass-roots networking programme.  Resulting from intensive networking between concerned individuals and organisations, it has also facilitated and strengthened networking as organisations respond to the Strategy. Most importantly, it has resulted in the establishment of the Global Partnership for Plant Conservation (GPPC), which might be considered a network of networks as it consists of many partners that are themselves networks.

Full implementation of the GSPC both nationally and globally requires effective cross-sectoral networking.  Organisations working across the agriculture, environmental, forestry and education sectors need to take action if all the 16 targets are to be met.

Implementation

Several countries that have developed national responses to the GSPC have started by holding national stakeholder workshops in order to identify the relevant individuals and organisations involved in delivering plant conservation targets.  Success in building strong national networks involving all these key players is often pivotal in successful implementation of the GSPC. Indeed, the lack of national networks, and the failure to mobilise all the relevant stakeholders is often cited as one of the reasons for failing to meet the targets.

National and regional plant conservation networks have been successful in some parts of the world:

At the regional level, the Red Latino Americana de Botánica has been very active in capacity building, education, conservation and sustainable use of plants throughout Central and South America.

Similarly, good progress has been made in Australia and New Zealand through the New Zealand Plant Conservation Network and the Australian Network for Plant Conservation.

Networks also exist around individual targets, or groups of targets. For example botanic gardens are well networked nationally, regionally and globally with a particular focus on Targets 8 and 14.

Tools and resources

Please also check in the database of Tools of Resources for Case Studies relevant to this target.

Status

At the global level, the establishment of the GPPC has made a good start at bringing together the plant conservation community, however greater efforts are needed to engage other sectors, such as agriculture, industry, education, forestry, water management, Indigenous and Local Communities etc.

There is still a lack of cross-sectoral networks, with limited institutional integration and a lack of mainstreaming.

Where national responses to the GSPC have been prepared, this has helped provide a focus for networking amongst the stakeholders.

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