Global Invasive Species Programme (GISP)
A project of DIVERSITAS aiming at preventing and managing invasive species
The spread of invasive alien species (IAS) - non-native organisms that cause, or have the potential to cause, harm to the environment, economies, or human health - is creating complex and far-reaching challenges that threaten both the natural biological richness of the earth and the well-being of our people.
Globalisation of trade, travel, and transport, is greatly increasing the number and diversity of harmful organisms being moved around the world, as well as the rate at which they are moving. At the same time, human-driven changes in land use and climate are rendering some habitats more susceptible to invasion. While the problem is global, the nature and severity of the impacts on society, economic life, health, and natural heritage are distributed unevenly across nations and regions.
IAS are thus a growing problem that will have to be managed in perpetuity.
The mission of the Global Invasive Species Programme (GISP) is to conserve biodiversity and sustain human livelihoods by minimizing the spread and impact of invasive alien species.
GISP was established in 1997 as an international non-for-profit partnership dedicated to tackling the global threat of invasive species, whose impacts cost at least US$ 1.4 trillion annually. Established in response to the first international meeting on invasive species held in Trondheim in 1996, GISP aimed at providing policy support to international agreements of relevance to invasive species, specifically Article 8(h) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and to raise awareness of the threats posed by invasive species globally. The main goal of GISP was that by 2020, a majority of countries would have the necessary policies in place to implement their national bio-security strategies and action plans.
2010 was United Nations declared International Year of Biodiversity and with invasive species constituting the 2nd biggest threat to biodiversity, it was a critically important year for GISP, both in terms of its visibility and impact, as well as the longer term survival of the programme. Sadly, despite its accomplishments, in the aftermath of the global economic recession, GISP was unable to attract adequate investment from donors or partners and towards the end of 2010, the decision to close the GISP Secretariat was taken, while the GISP Partnership has effectively entered a dormant phase.
As a component of the DIVERSITAS' research projects portfolio for 13 years, the relationship between GISP and DIVERSITAS evolved towards a strong partnership focusing on science-policy activities in 2009. DIVERSITAS recognises the great achievements of GISP both in terms of advancing the science of invasive species and bringing issues related to invasive species at the forefront of policy decisions.
GISP Phase I (1997-2005): Global strategy on invasive alien species
The Global Invasive Species Programme (GISP) was founded in 1997 as a small, mainly voluntary partnership programme, by three international organizations: IUCN - The World Conservation Union, CAB International (CABI), and the Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment (SCOPE), and was a component of DIVERSITAS. The GISP Secretariat was established in 2003 in Cape Town, South Africa, to facilitate and coordinate the implementation of the Global Strategy on Invasive Alien Species (McNeely et al. 2011).
Start-up funding to meet core costs was provided by The World Bank through the Bank-Nederlands Partnership Programme and Development Grant Facility, allowing the employment of a small team of professionals and the delivery of several priority projects.
GISP's goals were to address the global threats caused by invasive alien species and to provide support to the implementation of Article 8(h) of the Convention on Biological Diversity.
During this first phase, GISP aimed at:
- Improving the scientific basis for decision-making on invasive species;
- Developing capacities to employ early warning and rapid assessment and response systems;
- Enhancing the ability to manage invasive species;
- Reducing the economic impacts of invasive species and control methods;
- Developing better risk assessment methods;
- Strengthening international agreements.
From 2001-2004, a series of regional workshops were held in collaboration with host governments in Southern Africa, Nordic Baltic, Australia/Pacific, Central America, South East Asia, Western Africa and South America. The workshops provided a forum for scientific experts and government representatives to:
- Raise awareness of IAS issue among policy makers within a region;
- Facilitate regional communication and promote regional cooperation (scientific policy, education, etc.);
- Lay foundations for the development of regional IAS strategies;
- Encourage regions to apply their resources globally.
In early 2005, GISP was constituted as a legal entity with Founding Members including IUCN, CAB International (CABI), The Nature Conservancy, and the South African National Biodiversity Institute. It comprises an Executive Board, a Technical Advisory Committee, and a Secretariat (Cape Town, South Africa; then Nairobi, Kenya).
GISP Strategic Plan 2006-2010 emphasized as its main goals the promotion of global cooperation in invasive species prevention and management, and its mandate under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). It highlighted the specific interest in fostering cross-sectoral collaboration between relevant international instruments and organizations. GISP achieved its goals through cooperation amongst its Member Organizations, as well as a wide range of partners across the globe, and through the voluntary contribution from a substantial group of scientists, lawyers, and managers from all parts of the world.
GISP activities during its second phase were organized around three major themes:
- Assess the invasive alien species problem: to prevent the international spread of invasive species by improving the scientific basis for decision-making to enhance the ability to manage invasive species, which included
- The study of the ecology of invasive alien species, and the movement of species; and
- The development of new codes of conduct for the movement of species, and new tools for quantifying the impact of invasive species.
- How invasive alien species affect major economic sectors: minimizing the impact of established IAS on natural ecosystems and human livelihood by:
- Examining legal and institutional frameworks for controlling invasive species;
- Reducing the economic impacts of invasive species; and
- Reducing the economic impacts of control methods.
- Management and policy responses to the problem of invasive alien species: creating a supportive environment for improved IAS management to enhance the ability to manage invasive species worldwide through:
- Developing capacities to employ early warning and rapid assessment and response systems;
- Developing better risk assessment methods; and
- Strengthening international agreements.
The following five key elements provided the focus for Phase II activities:
- Global information management for IAS to provide information on scientific, technical and other aspects of IAS and support scientific and technical co-operation on IAS issues;
- Directed action at key pathways of IAS introduction through public/private sector co-operation focused on key sectoral pathways of introduction;
- Promotion of assessment and evaluation on critical IAS issues that will translate into the development and communication of research products that limit the spread and consequences of IAS;
- National and regional capacity building to improve national capacity to prevent and manage IAS problems, and support regional, capacity-sharing initiatives; and
- Supporting co-operation and co-ordination between international organisations involved in IAS.
The IAS Partnership Network as an example of a successful GISP project
From 1999, GISP developed a network of IAS Partnership, which set up a series of regional workshops to assess invasive alien species challenges and opportunities for regional collaboration. The outcome of the workshops held in East Africa, Baltic/Nordic region, Mesoamerica and the Caribbean, Southern Africa, South and Southeast Asia, Austral-Pacific region, West African region, South America, Western Indian Ocean Island states are published.
From 2006-2010, this project developed multi-disciplinary collaboration (between ecologists, bio-physicians, sociologists, economists, stakeholders and political institutions) to establish effective governance and protection of freshwater biodiversity for the long term, thereby benefiting human societies.
Examples of services provided by the GISP Partnership Network include:
- Raising awareness of the Invasive Alien Species (IAS) problem and potential solutions through relevant organizations and frameworks at national and international levels;
- Creating linkages among governments, between governments and the private sector, and across disciplines;
- Networking databases and providing a gateway for information on IAS issues and expertise;
- Designing and co-hosting workshops on strategic planning, priority setting, and the development of new and better tools to address the problem;
- Summarizing scientific and technical information in order to make it readily available to policy makers, scientists, educators, and other audiences;
- Supporting Partners in the design of projects and programmes to minimize the spread and impact of IAS.
GISP worked with international organizations to prevent the isolated, sector-focused approaches to the IAS issue that can lead to duplicative efforts and ineffective policies. For example, the GISP Partnership Network enabled governments, environmental groups, and trade industries to work together and engage in positive, constructive dialogue.
GISP in particular developed concrete links with policy fora (CBD, Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG), UNEP, CSIRO).
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