Multiregional Hubs
The Countdown 2010 initiative was closed in 2010. This website and all information it contains may not be up to date.
In June 2001, EU Heads of State at the Summit in Göteborg, Sweden, decided that “biodiversity decline should be halted with the aim of reaching this objective by 2010″. A year later, nearly all countries promised to “achieve by 2010 a significant reduction in the current rate of loss of biological diversity” at the World Summit on Sustainable Development.
Countdown 2010 was initially established as a European initiative. Yet, as the expiry of the target came closer and requests for support started coming from regions outside Europe, the Countdown 2010 network expanded to the other continents of the world.
The Countdown 2010 Multiregional Hubs assess the specific threats to biodiversity and possible approaches to alleviate them in their region. They promote the 2010 Biodiversity Target and mobilize existing and potential partners while working with other stakeholders to increase the level of action towards the Target.
Currently, Countdown 2010 Multiregional Hubs are active in:
Europe
In addition to the Countdown 2010 Secretariat based in Brussels, a dedicated Hub was created in Georgia to follow biodiversity conservation in the Caucasus. In 2006, stakeholders from Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia met to discuss an action plan to reach the 2010 Biodiversity Target in the region. The Countdown 2010 Hub for the Caucasus implements priority projects developed in the ‘Message from Gudauri’.
Asia
Countdown 2010 is present in Asia through its Hubs in Lower Mekong and China.
The Mekong is one of the world’s great rivers, sustaining million of people with its rich fishery and fertile flood plains. Home to an estimated 1,300 species of fish, the wealth of its biodiversity is comparable to that of the Amazon River. The Countdown 2010 Hub for the Lower Mekong works with the governments of Lao, Cambodia and Vietnam and other organizations to develop and implement laws address the threats to this ecoregion.
The emergence of China as one of the world’s biggest economies has immense consequences for people and the environment. Members of the Countdown 2010 Hub for China are working with government, communities and business to find ways for this vast country to reduce its impact on biodiversity while improving the livelihoods of its people.
Africa
Southern Africa harbours a vast range of plants and animal species. The region features a number of biodiversity hotspots of global significance. Despite the impressive range of biological resources and many centres of endemism, biodiversity in Southern Africa is experiencing increasing pressure due to a number of factors. The Countdown 2010 Hub for Southern Africa helps governments and stakeholders prioritize action towards the 2010 Biodiversity Target. Working with the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) and key stakeholders, a regional biodiversity strategy, providing a regional framework has been produced. In cooperation with the city of Cape Town and ICLEI, Countdown 2010 explores best ways for local governments to engage in effective biodiversity protection. The Countdown 2010 Hub for Southern Africa is also working with the Johannesburg City Parks on a 2010 Greening Soweto initiative, focusing on urban biodiversity restoration.
America
South America is the most biodiverse continent in the world. Poverty and unequal social conditions are widespread and cause constant threats to biodiversity. The Countdown 2010 Hub for South America engages the active civil society of the region in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela, and the CBD Focal Points in the region upon the 2010 Target and the conception of a Post-2010 Target vision coming from this region. Together with several initiatives, including the Alliance for Zero Extinction, it uses flagship species and ecosystems to pinpoint biodiversity loss.
