The 'Ecosystem Approach' is considered one of the most important principles of sustainable
environmental management.
The Sixth Conference of the Parties to the
Convention on Biological Diversity defined the Ecosystem Approach in Decision V/6, Annex A, section 1 as ‘a strategy for the integrated management of land, water and living resources that promotes conservation and sustainable use in an equitable way’
Essentially it requres the taking into consideration of the effects of actions on every element of an
ecosystem, based on the recognition that all elements of an ecosystem are linked.