Disclaimer: Copyright infringement not intended.

Context:

According to a recent study by the Natural History Museum (NHM) Biodiversity is declining more quickly inside key protected areas than outside them.

Details:

Key Points	Details
30x30 Target	World leaders agreed in 2022 to protect 30% of land and water by 2030 to conserve nature.
Present Status	Nearly a quarter of the biodiversity-rich land is within protected areas, but the quality of these areas is declining faster than in unprotected areas.
Biodiversity Intactness Index (BII)	The BII measures biodiversity health as a percentage in response to human pressures. Between 2000 and 2020, the global BII declined by 1.88 percentage points.
Critical Biodiversity Areas	22% of critical biodiversity areas, which provide 90% of nature’s contributions to humanity, are protected.  Biodiversity in unprotected critical areas declined by 1.9 percentage points between 2000 and 2020, whereas in protected areas, the decline was 2.1 percentage points.
Protection Levels	As of 2022, 17.5% of land and 8.4% of marine areas are protected – a small increase of about half a percentage point since COP15.  More efforts are needed to reach the 30x30 target by 2030.
Focus for the Future	Countries need to stay focused on the 30x30 target and expand conservation efforts.  Greater emphasis should be placed on conserving ecosystems that provide essential services.
Threats to Biodiversity Areas	Oil, gas, and mining concessions threaten key biodiversity areas and Indigenous territories.  For example, 65% of Conkouati-Douli National Park in the Republic of the Congo is covered by oil and gas concessions.
Indigenous Territories	In the Amazon, Congo Basin, and Southeast Asia, 254,000 sq km of protected areas and 300,000 sq km of Indigenous territories overlap with oil and gas concessions, posing significant threats.
Ineffectiveness of Conservation Policies	Research from the University of New South Wales found conservation policies in protected forested areas were ineffective in countries like Indonesia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Bolivia, Venezuela, and Madagascar. Corruption, political instability, and lack of resources were key issues.
Climate Crisis	Climate change Increased threats to protected areas.  For example, wildfires in 2019 destroyed many national parks in Australia, which previously had a strong record of nature protection.

What is biodiversity?

Biodiversity is defined as the variety of life on Earth in all its forms. It comprises the number of species, their genetic variation and the interaction of these life forms within complex ecosystems.

In a UN report published in 2019, scientists warned that one million species - out of an estimated total of eight million - are threatened with extinction, many within decades. 

Some researchers even consider we are in the middle of the sixth mass extinction event in Earth’s history. 

Earlier known mass extinctions wiped out between 60% and 95% of all species. It takes millions of years for ecosystems to recover from such an event.

Why is biodiversity important?

• Healthy ecosystems provide us with many essentials. Plants convert energy from the sun making it available to other life forms.
• Bacteria and other living organisms break down organic matter into nutrients providing plants with healthy soil to grow in. 
• Pollinators are essential in plant reproduction, guaranteeing our food production. Plants and oceans act as major carbon sinks.
• Biodiversity with clean air, fresh water, good quality soil and crop pollination. It helps us fight climate change and adapt to it as well as reduce the impact of natural hazards.
• Since living organisms interact in dynamic ecosystems, the disappearance of one species can have a far-reaching impact on the food chain. 
• It is impossible to know what the consequences of mass extinctions would be for humans, but we do know that for now the diversity of nature allows us to thrive.

How Biodiversity Loss Affects Humans:

• Reduced food security: Biodiversity is essential for food production, as it provides genetic resources for crop and livestock improvement, pollination services and natural pest control. 
  • • Declining biodiversity can reduce agricultural productivity and increase the vulnerability of food systems to pests, diseases and climate change.
• Decline in human health: Biodiversity plays a critical role in the development of new medicines, as many pharmaceuticals and homoeopathic remedies are derived from plants or animals. Losing species could mean losing potential sources of new treatments for diseases. 
  • • The decline in ecosystem services, such as water and air purification, can lead to increased exposure to pollutants and pathogens, negatively affecting human health.
• Economic losses: Biodiversity supports many industries, including agriculture, forestry, fisheries and tourism. 
  • • Loss of biodiversity can reduce the productivity and sustainability of these industries, leading to economic losses and reduced employment opportunities.
• Loss of cultural values: Biodiversity has cultural and spiritual significance for many people, particularly indigenous communities. 
  • • The loss of species and ecosystems can result in the loss of cultural heritage, traditional knowledge and spiritual connections to nature.
• Increased vulnerability to natural disasters: Healthy, diverse ecosystems can help protect human communities from natural disasters, such as floods, storms and landslides. 
  • • Biodiversity loss can reduce the ability of ecosystems to buffer these events, increasing the vulnerability of human settlements to natural disasters.
• Reduced resilience to climate change: Biodiversity is crucial for ecosystem resilience to climate change. Loss of biodiversity can reduce the capacity of ecosystems to adapt to changing climate conditions, potentially exacerbating the impacts of climate change on human societies.

Protecting the natural world

According to WWF’s Living Planet Report, ambitious conservation measures are critical to bending the curve of wildlife loss. But even the most ambitious conservation strategies may not go far enough. To turn things around, we must also change the way we produce and consume food by making agriculture more sustainable, reducing waste, and adopting healthier and more sustainable diets.

Source:

INDIAN EXPRESS

PRACTICE QUESTION Q.Discuss the major causes and consequences of biodiversity decline in India. How can effective policy measures and community involvement contribute to the conservation of biodiversity? (150 words)