MA: Biodoversity loss and Human well-being
Sat, 2005-05-21 17:21 — admin
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Real world effort
Biodiversity and human well-being are inextricably linked
Humans benefit from ecosystem services, but unsustainable use drives biodiversity loss
People living in rural areas in developing nations are often most dependent on biodiversity
And they are usually most vulnerable to ecosystem service degradation
They cannot afford to move out or import new services
"If you do things the right way, if you chose the right options for poverty alleviation, you can also maximise biodiversity and sustainability."
"If you do things the right way, if you chose the right options for poverty alleviation, you can also maximise biodiversity and sustainability."
MA BIODIVERSITY SYNTHESIS
The last 50 years have seen the biggest biodiversity upheaval in human history
Over half the world's biomes (vegetation types) have experienced about 20-50% conversion to human use
The rates of change have been greatest in tropical and sub-tropical dry forests
Some 35% of mangroves and about 20% of corals have gone
Across a range of taxonomic groups, species are in decline
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Real world effort
"Most of the approaches to achieving more sympathetic management of the natural environment and the conservation of biodiversity - I think we and governments know them already," commented Graham Wynne, the chief executive of the UK bird conservation group, the RSPB.
"The real challenge is to deploy them more extensively and more intelligently.
"And you can't get away from the fact that we simply need more money.
"The sums of money we throw at the environment in the West are relatively modest; and the sums of money the West is prepared to devote to developing countries is pitiful."