The B.C. government is committed to protecting and conserving the province’s biodiversity and ecosystem health. Rich biodiversity and healthy ecosystems support us all and ensure that the natural environment, as well as communities and their economies, continue to flourish, especially in the face of climate change.
B.C.’s draft Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health Framework sets out a common vision for the conservation and management of ecosystem health and biodiversity. As an overarching priority, the Framework formalizes a new and strategic direction for a more holistic approach to stewarding our land and water resources and making sure they are healthy and resilient for future generations.
The Framework:
The Framework upholds and enables the articles set out in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UN Declaration) and the requirements and commitments of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (Declaration Act). This foundation supports three pillars:
The draft Framework was developed through collaborative engagement throughout 2023 with First Nations and other parties including industry, non-governmental organizations, local communities, municipal leaders and academia. Research and examples from Canada and from other parts of the world have also helped to inform the draft and the innovative ideas within it.
The Province is now consulting with First Nations Rights and Title Holders, and engaging with multiple natural resource sectors and industry, as well as local governments, on the draft Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health Framework. Members of the public can access the draft Framework and provide comments no later than January 31, 2024 by contacting biodiversity.ecosystemhealth@gov.bc.ca.