Nature’s Dangerous Decline ‘Unprecedented. UN Report

Nature is retreating globally at an unprecedented rate in human history – and the rate of species extinction is accelerating, with grave consequences for people around the world, warns a new historical report from the Intergovernmental Science and Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES)), the summary of which was approved at the 7th session of the IPBES plenary meeting last week in Paris (29 April to 4 May ).

“The overwhelming evidence of the global evaluation of IPBES from a wide range of knowledge areas gives a disturbing picture,” said Sir Robert Watson, President of IPBES. “The health of ecosystems that we and all other species depend on is deteriorating faster than ever. We are eroding the very foundations of our economies, livelihoods, food security, health and quality of life around the world. “

“The report also tells us that it is not too late to make a difference, but only if we start now at all levels, from local to global,” he said. “Through a” transformation change “, nature can always be conserved, restored and used in a sustainable way – this is also essential for achieving most other global goals. Transformative change refers to a fundamental, system-wide reorganization that encompasses technological, economic, and social factors, including paradigms, goals, and values. “

“The member states of the IPBES Plenary have now recognized that by their very nature transformative change may elicit opposition from those with interests in the status quo, but also that such opposition may to be overcome for the wider public good, “Watson said.

The Global Assessment Report of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services of IPBES is the most comprehensive ever done. This is the first intergovernmental report of its kind. It builds on the 2005 Millennium Ecosystem Assessment and proposes innovative methods for evaluating evidence.

Compiled by 145 expert authors from 50 countries over the last three years, with the contribution of 310 other authors, the report assesses the changes that have occurred over the last five decades and provides a comprehensive picture of the relationship between economic development trajectories and their impacts on nature. It also offers a range of possible scenarios for the coming decades.

Based on a systematic review of approximately 15,000 scientific and government sources, the report also builds (for the first time at this scale) on indigenous and local knowledge, particularly on issues related to indigenous peoples and communities. local.

“Biodiversity and the contributions of nature to the people are our common heritage and the most important” safety net “of humanity. But our safety net is almost exhausted, “said Professor Sandra Díaz (Argentina), who co-chaired the evaluation with Professors Josef Settele (Germany) and Eduardo S. Brondízio (Brazil and USA).

“The diversity within species, between species and ecosystems, as well as many fundamental contributions we draw from nature, is declining rapidly, although we still have the means to ensure a sustainable future for people and the planet. “

Source: SDG Knowledge Hub.