Local Action for Biodiversity (LAB) is a global urban biodiversity initiative. It's pioneer phase ran from 2006 to 2009, working with a select group of 21 local and regional authorities from around the world which were representative of over 54 million citizens. These LAB pioneers are leading the way for managing and conserving biodiversity at local government level. The project aims to identify opportunities for the development of biodiversity “toolkits” for implementation and to create a global network for biodiversity. Furthermore, it aims to promote greater understanding about urban biodiversity issues and implementing actions as well as increased awareness of the need for local action in this regard.

The LAB project was born from the ICLEI World Congress 2006, which was proudly held in Cape Town. This project was proposed by the City of Cape Town at the ICLEI World Congress 2006 and adopted by the ICLEI Council. At the ICLEI World Congress in June 2009, a motion was unanimously accepted to adopt the LAB Initiative as the global ICLEI biodiversity Initiative. New cities are invited to join the LAB Pioneers while the 21 LAB Pioneers will join the various LAB Worknets.

LAB is an ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability partnership programme, involving IUCN, Countdown 2010, the South African National Biodiversity Institute, RomaNatura and 21 global cities with a specific focus on enhancing planning and management for biodiversity at a local level.

Local governments are significant front-line managers of global biodiversity as they are tasked with service provision and ensuring that social and economic development proceeds within the carrying capacity of the biological resource base. LAB recognises the importance of halting and preventing future biodiversity loss in urban areas and of integrating biodiversity conservation and management into City strategies and planning. LAB therefore appropriately targets local governments for participation to encourage them to recognise their essential role and responsibility in biodiversity conservation.

These roles and responsibilities include:
- The management and administration of large areas of land.
- Their role in approving land-use changes and considering development applications.
- Local governments plan and implement development and set long term strategic development frameworks.
- Local governments control land-use within their boundaries.

Essentially, the LAB project aims to rally the support of committed local governments in developing a set of tools by which biodiversity issues and concerns can be drawn effectively into the planning and decision-making processes of local governments.

Objectives

• Facilitating the City of Cape Town’s beneficial involvement in LAB.
• Positioning the City, through its position in LAB, as a world leader in Urban Biodiversity (including involvement in Convention for Biological Diversity’s Inter-Agency Task Team, ICLEI’s World Mayors Council, LAB phase 2 etc).
• Developing favourable partnerships for the City to support optimal management of its biodiversity wealth.
• Assisting ICLEI with strategic input into the establishment/co-ordination/implementation of LAB, including co-ordinating/convening the LAB Steering Committee and supporting the LAB project team.

For further information, visit the LAB website, or contact:

Tel: +27 (0)21 487 2772
Fax: +27 (0)21 424 9313
E-mail: lab@iclei.org

NOTE: The City of Cape Town is not responsible for the content of external
websites, nor does it constitute an endorsement of these websites. They are
solely intended to provide additional information sources that may be helpful.

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