Peter Verweij

The overall objective of the KB programmes has been to: Deliver innovative applied research that has the potential for value creation.
The objective and primary task of this KB36 programme is to transform existing social and economic systems to include more biodiversity, make full and effective use of nature-based solutions that are socially inclusive, economically sustainable and at the appropriate scale, and by delivering sustainable ecosystem services. In order to achieve the objective so the projects were commissioned and organized in 8 topic clusters, one of them the Dutch Caribbean.

The programme continues in 2023-2024. In simple terms the overall purpose of the KB programmes is to deliver innovative applied research that has the potential for value creation. This programme will therefore deliver knowledge, tools, approaches, models and data to be used and valorised by various stakeholders in practice. These stakeholders and our current and future clients hold the key for outcomes that shape the transition to a nature-inclusive society: enhancing biodiversity while providing for the needs of society. Specifically: Our research helps transform existing social-ecological systems to include more biodiversity, make full and effective use of nature-based solutions that are socially inclusive, economically sustainable and at the appropriate scale, and by delivering sustainable ecosystem services.

There is a growing consensus that conservation efforts alone are not enough to achieve healthy nature; nature must be integrated into sectoral planning from the outset, rather than mitigating potential negative effects afterwards. This concept of 'nature-inclusiveness' emphasizes the integration of nature considerations into cross-sectoral planning processes, policies, standards, and regulations. Nature-inclusiveness needs to be embedded not only at the institutional level but also in the informal culture and processes of government offices. This project aims to strengthen nature by mainstreaming it in sectoral perspectives and building upon small local bottom-up initiatives. Participatory methodologies are used to understand how these initiatives can be strengthened and connected to ongoing policy dialogues, allowing the 'seeds of change' to grow and propagate.

Abstract: The economies of small tropical islands often benefit from large-scale tourism, attracted by
the guarantee of beach facilities, sun and warmth, landscape beauty, and cultural and underwater
life. While these are highly valued assets, it is unclear how local communities benefit from tourism,
or how they perceive their natural environment, which has been the basis for their rich cultural
history. Against this background, the main aim of this article is to investigate inhabitants’ perceptions
about locals’ inclusiveness in tourism and recreation on a small island called Bonaire. A total of
400 households were interviewed during the period November 2021–February 2022. Inclusiveness in
tourism and the welfare it brings are judged as low, based on the findings in this study. With a share
of around 40% of the population of Dutch Caribbean islanders living in poverty, the challenge of
inequality is urgent. While environmental degradation contributes to inequality, inequality can also
contribute to environmental degradation. To reduce inequalities, while ensuring life below water and
life on land, the handling of poverty is one of the most critical bottlenecks in this society.

Abstract

The economies of small tropical islands often benefit from large-scale tourism, attracted by the guarantee of beach facilities, sun and warmth, landscape beauty, and cultural and underwater life. While these are highly valued assets, it is unclear how local communities benefit from tourism, or how they perceive their natural environment, which has been the basis for their rich cultural history. Against this background, the main aim of this article is to investigate inhabitants’ perceptions about locals’ inclusiveness in tourism and recreation on a small island called Bonaire. A total of 400 households were interviewed during the period November 2021–February 2022. Inclusiveness in tourism and the welfare it brings are judged as low, based on the findings in this study. With a share of around 40% of the population of Dutch Caribbean islanders living in poverty, the challenge of inequality is urgent. While environmental degradation contributes to inequality, inequality can also contribute to environmental degradation. To reduce inequalities, while ensuring life below water and life on land, the handling of poverty is one of the most critical bottlenecks in this society.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Web-platforms on nature inform the development of regulations and policies.

• Although many data exist, policy makers are constrained by a lack of information.

• Co-design catalyses reciprocity and trust needed for willingness to share data.

• Rather focus on meeting needs of suppliers and users than new technologies.

• Evolving contexts require continuous reflection on ways of working together.

ABSTRACT

To secure the sustainable use of nature, governments track nature’s health and develop regulations and policies. Although there is a seeming abundance in observation-recordings, decision- and policy-makers are constrained by the lack of data and indicators, mostly as a result of barriers preventing existing data from being found, accessed, made suitable for (automated) processing and reused, but also due to missing visualisations targeted at answering questions asked by policy makers. This paper explores the process and principles for developing a biodiversity webplatform that informs policy and management on the state and trends of nature, based on experiences with the Dutch Caribbean Biodiversity Database (DCBD). The DCBD supports the assessment of the state of nature and guarantees long-term data availability in an environment that experiences a high turnover in project funds and personnel. Three principles made DCBD’s uptake and growth possible: The platform is funded, promoted and used by national and regional policy makers, it simplifies tasks of local management and rapporteurs, and it is continuously being adapted to changing needs and insights. Stronger dissemination of DCBD’s narratives in social arenas (e.g. newspapers, social media) may make Caribbean nature and biodiversity more politically and societally relevant.

Results from a series of designs sessions, workshops and interviews describe a vision for Bonaire in 2050. In this vision, measures to combat challenges for any sector, will also strengthen nature. We call this a ‘nature inclusive vision’. A recently published visual booklet presents views of a future in which economic development and a nature inclusive society join forces to maintain what is precious, and to improve what is damaged or threatened.

In the booklet the challenges facing Bonaire have been listed, underpinned by evidence in the form of graphs and maps, and landscapes with allocated nature inclusive measures are displayed in three-dimensional landscape visualisations.

The booklet can be downloaded from https://www.dcbd.nl/document/bonaire2050-nature-inclusive-vision.

The booklet is based on the report that can be downloaded from https://www.dcbd.nl/document/nature-inclusive-vision-bonaire-2050

Article published in BioNews 40