Human beings have never been so capable of destroying their own natural basis of life. Losses of biological diversity are accompanied by economic and cultural losses, meaning that local supply systems and also sociocultural identities and individual roots are in danger. Short-term profits contrast with enormous long-term costs and risks. The situation is often dramatic in many developing countries where dependence on functioning ecosystems and the services they provide for daily survival is far more direct than in countries with stronger economies. Lengthy political and societal processes have to take place if we are to change the way we interrelate with nature in terms of nature protection, sustainable use and just benefit sharing. Co-shaping this process is a key task of German Technical Cooperation.
 
Dr. Thora Amend
Consultant
Laufenburg, Germany
thora.amend@gmx.de

Tilman Jäger, Marina Kosmus, Johannes Scholl
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbHEschborn, Germany