long-established traditional system. Beyond, the Boonyawat group have produced a case study that contains lessons for those in ‘developed’ countries which also report the impacts of unexpected and sometimes extreme rainfall events. On close inspection the important factors which lie behind such impacts are ecological. Ecological Impact Assessments (Eco-IA) were neglected and land use issues such as road and housing estate development ignored landscaped and the importance of woodlands (to use a UK term for forests). Puji Astuti et al. in Indonesia and Gopi Ragupathi in India take us to papers which show how the medicinal worth of plants can help to make biodiversity too valuable to loose. Today, with some recently re-activated economic trends which place dollars before ecology surfacing in the U.S., case studies demonstrating bio-medical values are timely. Short-sighted, dollar-driven businessman thinking is out of place when these subtle values of biodiversity are presented. Medicinal crops like Gloriosa superba from India present much needed alternatives to the huge number of synthetic drugs which all too often rule pharmacy in the market and are associated with many adverse reactions and side effects. In the “west”, illness linked to life styles of ‘developed’ countries such as rheumatism and gout could benefit from G. superba’s natural chemistry. Glorisoa’s biochemical biodiversity is too good to loose. Rajasekaran et al. provide a stimulating paper on exploration, conservation and phytochemical screening of India’s huge and impressive but still incompletely explored flora. The paper focused on three biomedically important plants from India’s mega biodiversity bank and neatly demonstrated how the 550 tribal communities that make up India as a nation, may make wise use of their plant medicinal resources. For a sustainable future based on these non-industrial pharmacies – natural plant bioresources – this is a very important contribution to helping the local communities to avoid the pharmaceutical trap of expensive synthetic medicines which rule the ‘west’. Additionally and importantly, the Rajasekaran team have pioneered a way forward in ethnobotanically apt methods for biodiversity wise use. Many papers make compelling arguments in favour of community level and multi-sector activities to foster effective action on biodiversity retention and climate change adaptation. Two illustrate this them nicely: one comes from Indonesia, the other from the Philippines. Others extend and deepen this theme. Agus Suyanto takes us to the challenging Karst landscapes and their ecosystems and shows that action on biodiversity conservation and respect at the community level, with its sensitivities to local belief systems, can produce positive results. These case studies can remind those in so called advanced and ‘developed’ societies that aspects of ‘Eastern’ belief systems have a basis in respect for natural resources. Huberto C. Zanoria and his five co- authors from Cebu, Philippines, also remind readers of the importance of directly involving all sectors of society in addressing pressing environmental matters. In short, any Government must be integrated with the people; their needs and aspirations. This paper and similar research signals that we may, in future, benefit from more studies on how policy can be better formulated to enhance biodiversity conservation. Disasters like typhoons may magnify the needs but putting environmental sustainability on a long-term ecological (scientific) footing requires people will-power. 346 Proceedings of the International Conference on Climate Change, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Policy and Practice 27-29 June 2016, Cha-am, Phetchaburi, Thailand
Proceedings of International Conference on Climate Change, Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services for the Sustainable Development Goals : Policy and Practice 27-29 June 2016 at the Sirindhorn International Environmental Park, Cha-am, Phetchaburi, Thailand
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