Communities close to nature must be at the centre of our actions as there cannot be one-size-fits-all approach
By Tej Singh Kardam
Biodiversity is the variability among living organisms from all sources, including among others, terrestrial, marine and other ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; including diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems.
In simple terms, biodiversity is the number of variety of organisms found within a specified geographical region. It refers to the varieties of plants, animals and microorganisms, the genes they contain and the ecosystem they form. Gaining understanding of the degree of genetic variation within individual species, the concept of conserving all biological diversity became thoughtful in the late 1980s. Biodiversity has taken centre stage in the planning and strategy of environmental and conservation bodies throughout the world.
Biodiversity Crisis
According to the Living Planet Report by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), October 2022, more than 99.9% of all species that lived on earth, amounting to over five billion, are estimated to be extinct. There has been about 69% decline in the wildlife population of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish across the globe in the last 50 years. The highest decline, 94%, was in Latin America and the Caribbean region. Africa recorded 66% fall in wildlife population and the Asia-Pacific 55%. The population of freshwater species reduced by 83% globally.
The report states that Mangroves continue to be lost to aquaculture, agriculture and coastal development at a rate of 0.13% per year. Many mangroves are also degraded by over-exploitation and pollution alongside natural stressors such as storms and coastal erosion. It further mentioned that about 137 square km of the Sundarbans mangrove forest in India and Bangladesh has been eroded since 1985.
Drivers of Loss
The main drivers of biodiversity loss are:
Habitat loss: It is one of the main drivers of extinction of plants and animals. Land clearing and deforestation for agriculture and other activities have resulted in wildlife species losing significant natural habitats. As per the Living Planet report, there has been a 30% decline in wetlands for agriculture etc in the last 40 years.
Over-exploitation of species: Over-fishing has led to depletion of the much demanded Tuna. Over-hunting and poaching of species quickly lead to a decline in biodiversity. The Stellar’s sea cow, passenger pigeon, Tasmanian tiger and Cheetah from India (though reintroduced) are among the species that have been poached to extinction.
Introduction of invasive species: This can lead to biodiversity loss. These are non-native species that significantly modify or disrupt the ecosystems they colonise. For example, the brown tree snake in Guam, which was accidentally introduced, led to the extinction of 10 native bird species in less than two decades of its arrival. Pollution is another driver, as in a polluted area, the quality of food, water or other habitat resources decline, and sometimes the species have to move away or perish. Such events cause loss of genetic diversity of the species in the area.
Climate change: is a great challenge. In 2014, as the temperature topped 40 degrees Celsius, in eastern Australia, half of the region’s black flying fox population perished, with thousands of bats succumbing to the heat in one day. Therefore, it is clear that out of 9 planetary boundaries — safe operating space for humanity; biodiversity loss, climate change, land-use change, geochemical cycle, freshwater use, ocean acidification, chemical pollution, atmospheric loading and ozone depletion, the first four have already been exceeded. According to the Global Outlook report, these breaches are directly linked to human-induced desertification, land degradation and droughts.
Scenario in India
India has 2.4% of world’s land area and global species diversity of 8.1%, including 45,000 recorded plant and 91,000 recorded animal species. Conservation International has identified 17 mega-diverse countries, including India, and four global biodiversity hotspots. The biodiversity hotspots are essential for maintaining ecosystem balance and geographical regions rich in endemic, rare and threatened species, facing threat to habitat loss.
These hotspots are Eastern Himalayas which has evergreen forests, includes trees like Oak and Alpine and fauna such as heron, slow loris and snow cock. Indo-Burma, which includes Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar and regions around the Brahmaputra. It comprises threatened species of grey-crowned crocias etc. Sundaland hotspot lies in the Nicobar Islands and extends to the tectonic plate under the Indian Ocean. It has Sumatra rhinos and orangutans, and is home to the world’s largest flower Rafflesia (one metre in diameter). The Western Ghats hotspot has montane tropical rainforests, and is home to black panthers, pig-nosed purple frogs etc.
Indian Wetlands
India has 75 Ramsar sites, which are wetlands, the largest in Asia. The Indian government has announced the Amrit Dharohar scheme, under which these wetlands are to be protected for sustaining aquatic biodiversity and generate income for local communities. The recent intervention by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change to stop the draining of Haiderpur, a Ramsar wetland in Uttar Pradesh, to safeguard migratory waterfowl is encouraging. The government of India has also launched MISHTI Yojana (Mangrove Initiative for Shoreline Habitats and Tangible Income) to revive mangroves and coastal ecosystems.
Although biodiversity loss is a global problem, it can only be countered with local solutions. There cannot be a one-size-fits-all approach. This could be Zero Budget Natural Farming in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana or community-driven forest conservation initiatives in the Northeast. It would be better if communities close to nature are at the centre of our actions.
The importance of our planet’s biodiversity was strongly articulated at the United Nations Conference on Biodiversity in Montreal, Canada, in December 2022, with the member countries adopting an agreement to “halt and reverse” biodiversity loss by conserving 30% of the world’s land and 30% of world’s oceans by 2030. The government of India has already approved the National Mission on Biodiversity and Human Wellbeing. The mission explores harnessing skills and interdisciplinary knowledge for greening India and its economy, restoring and enriching our natural wealth for the well-being of our people and positioning India as a leader in biodiversity conservation.
India hosts over 17% of the planet’s human population and 17% of the global area in biodiversity hotspots, placing it at the helm to guide the world in becoming biodiversity champions.
Human species are an integral and influential component of biodiversity. Our cultures shape the biodiversity around us, and biodiversity shapes our cultures and our future here on earth. Prakruti: Rakshati Rakshita (Nature protects if she is protected).