Rallying for urgent action on biodiversity
AS the world celebrated the diversity of life on earth, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and other non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are calling on governments to make fundamental changes to economic planning to avoid the collapse of the world’s life support system.
On Saturday, the world marked the International Day for Biological Diversity, proclaimed by the United Nations in 1993 to “increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues”.
Biodiversity and healthy natural ecosystems underpin human well-being and the economy by providing a range of benefits or “services” such as clean air and water, protection from natural disasters and medicine and food. Experts estimate the global economic value of biodiversity to be as high as US$33 trillion (K96.6 trillion) per year.
“Governments rarely take the economic and social benefits of nature into account in their policies and activities,” Rolf Hogan, biodiversity manager at WWF International, said. “This leads to the destruction of natural ecosystems and the undermining of our future. It is reaching a crisis point.”
Simultaneously, the world’s governments have failed to meet the promise they made in 2002 to significantly reduce the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010, the international year of biodiversity.
Recent studies, including the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Global Biodiversity Outlook 3, show that massive further loss of biodiversity is becoming increasingly likely. Several “tipping points” are approaching, in which ecosystems shift to less productive states from which it may be impossible to recover, according to the studies.
In a statement delivered to a scientific meeting of the Convention on Biological Diversity earlier last week, 24 international NGOs including WWF – representing civil society, conservation and indigenous people – told governments that they had failed because they did “not address the underlying causes of biodiversity loss”.
“Current economic and governance systems and policies promote the over-consumption of natural resources by some countries and segments of society,” the statement said. “This is driving the destruction of habitats and undermining the rights and livelihoods of millions of people who depend on them.
“We are at a turning point. Fundamental change is urgently required.
“The International Day for Biological Diversity should act as a reminder that heads of state need to heed this call by NGOs to make concrete commitments when they meet at the United Nations general assembly special session on biodiversity in September,” Hogan said.
“We cannot expect environmental ministries to take this on alone.
“Conservation and the sustainable use of biodiversity must move from the political fringes and into the centre stage if we are to prevent a catastrophic loss of biodiversity.” – WWF
On Saturday, the world marked the International Day for Biological Diversity, proclaimed by the United Nations in 1993 to “increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues”.
Biodiversity and healthy natural ecosystems underpin human well-being and the economy by providing a range of benefits or “services” such as clean air and water, protection from natural disasters and medicine and food. Experts estimate the global economic value of biodiversity to be as high as US$33 trillion (K96.6 trillion) per year.
“Governments rarely take the economic and social benefits of nature into account in their policies and activities,” Rolf Hogan, biodiversity manager at WWF International, said. “This leads to the destruction of natural ecosystems and the undermining of our future. It is reaching a crisis point.”
Simultaneously, the world’s governments have failed to meet the promise they made in 2002 to significantly reduce the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010, the international year of biodiversity.
Recent studies, including the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Global Biodiversity Outlook 3, show that massive further loss of biodiversity is becoming increasingly likely. Several “tipping points” are approaching, in which ecosystems shift to less productive states from which it may be impossible to recover, according to the studies.
In a statement delivered to a scientific meeting of the Convention on Biological Diversity earlier last week, 24 international NGOs including WWF – representing civil society, conservation and indigenous people – told governments that they had failed because they did “not address the underlying causes of biodiversity loss”.
“Current economic and governance systems and policies promote the over-consumption of natural resources by some countries and segments of society,” the statement said. “This is driving the destruction of habitats and undermining the rights and livelihoods of millions of people who depend on them.
“We are at a turning point. Fundamental change is urgently required.
“The International Day for Biological Diversity should act as a reminder that heads of state need to heed this call by NGOs to make concrete commitments when they meet at the United Nations general assembly special session on biodiversity in September,” Hogan said.
“We cannot expect environmental ministries to take this on alone.
“Conservation and the sustainable use of biodiversity must move from the political fringes and into the centre stage if we are to prevent a catastrophic loss of biodiversity.” – WWF
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