Objectives and strategy

The overall aim of SwedBio is to contribute to poverty alleviation and improved livelihoods through equitable, sustainable and productive management of biodiversity resources at all levels - genes, species and ecosystems.

The programme objective is "to increase capacity and commitment of Swedish international development cooperation to pro-actively and strategically work towards the development objective".

The following issues are given particular attention 2009:

• Ecosystem services and climate change.

• Follow-up of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA), and tools for mainstreaming/integrating biodiversity and ecosystem services in planning- and decisions making frameworks (e.g. biodiversity/ecosystem services indicators, and biodiversity/ecosystem services in EIA/SEA).

• Equity, democracy and human rights linked to biodiversity and ecosystem services.

• Biodiversity, ecosystem services and health.

• Productive, biodiversity based and ecologically sound agriculture.

• Productive, and ecologically sound forest management.

The work of SwedBio is further guided by the following strategy:

• Synergy - programme components and activities should be mutually supportive.

• Flexibility and adaptability to respond to emerging opportunities.

• Complementarity with other activities, initiatives and approaches undertaken and/or supported through Swedish international development cooperation.

• Promoting dialogue and exchange between different actors and stakeholders, with specific emphasis on increasing civil society involvement, and enhancing voices of local communities and indigenous groups.

• Keeping up-dated on development of ideas, knowledge, methods and policies related to "biodiversity and local livelihoods" (including e.g. economic, social and cultural values of biological diversity), and be able to identify and support cutting-edge issues and initiatives.