June 2013: The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has circulated two new briefs highlighting the importance of biodiversity for sustainable development and as a contribution to the discussions on the post-2015 development agenda. One focuses on water security, while the other addresses biodiversity for cities and slums.

Dated April 2013, the two-page brief on ‘Biodiversity for Cities and Slums’ highlights the importance of ecosystems for urban poverty reduction, noting that better management of, and access to, some basic locally-produced ecosystem services could reduce poverty and increase food security in cities, and presenting examples of cities taking steps to this direction.

Published in May 2013, the brief on ‘Biodiversity: Natural Solutions for Water Security’ notes that water issues, because of their tangible nature and urgency for solutions, represent one of the strongest links between biodiversity and sustainable development, and draws attention to the decision of the eleventh meeting of the CBD Conference of the Parties (COP 11) urging that due consideration be given to the water cycle as a cross-cutting theme when implementing the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020. [Publication: Biodiversity for Cities and Slums] [Publication: Biodiversity: Natural Solutions for Water Security]