In the aftermath of the Earth Summits in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 and in Johannesburg in 2002, conservation has become inextricably linked with sustainability. The United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) enshrines this linkage in its objectives: the conservation of biological diversity; the sustainable use of its components; and the fair and equitable sharing of its benefits. The CBD defines sustainable use as the "use of the components of biological diversity in a way and at a rate that does not lead to the long-term decline of biological diversity, thereby maintaining its potential to meet the needs and aspirations of present and future generations". Interestingly, however, conservation itself ―the central plank of the convention ― is left undefined. Perhaps this is because we all feel that we know what conservation means, and that its definition is superfluous.
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