Introduction

In the context of the Convention on Biodiversity, the term 'Ecosystem Approach' is used in a very specific way:

The Ecosystem Approach is a strategy for the integrated management of land, water and living resources that promotes conservation and sustainable use in an equitable way. Application of the ecosystem approach should help to reach a balance of the three objectives of the Convention. It is based on the application of appropriate scientific methodologies focused on levels of biological organization which encompass the essential processes, functions and interactions among organisms and their environment. It recognizes that humans, with their cultural diversity, are an integral component of ecosystems.

Much more information can be obtained from the relevant part of the CBD website www.biodiv.org/programmes/cross-cutting/ecosystem/default.shtml

Case studies of how to implement the approach are available in a report:

R. D. Smith and E. Maltby. (2003). Using the Ecosystem Approach to Implement the Convention on Biological Diversity: Key Issues and Case Studies. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland and Cambridge, UK. x +118 pp.