Abstract:
Halting biodiversity loss has become an increasingly important aspect of preserving and protecting the environment that we live in. In particular, there has been increasing awareness of the importance of urban biodiversity and the role that cities can play in conserving biodiversity. However, while urban biodiversity is increasingly recognised at an international level, it has often lacked proper recognition in New Zealand. Furthermore, biodiversity requires a decentralised and coordinated response to management because of its multi-scale nature. However, there are many barriers which can hinder the effective decentralised approach to managing biodiversity. This study examines the management of biodiversity in three urban areas in New Zealand. The research focuses on the extent to which urban biodiversity is being recognised by city, regional and central government and the degree to which city, regional and central government departments coordinate, collaborate and communicate with each other in managing biodiversity. Focusing on decentralised biodiversity management, city case studies are used to understand the factors that both hinder and enable the effective coordination of biodiversity management and the understanding and inclusion of urban biodiversity in particular. Rather than solely identifying the issues such as lack of communication which impede the effective decentralised management of urban biodiversity, this research identifies underlying guidance and leadership issues which are causing these problems. Furthermore, the research provides insights as to how the handling of these issues may shape the future of both urban and general biodiversity management.