Review: Global Biodiversity Outlook 3

I wrote the following review of the Global Biodiversity Outlook 3 some time back for the Asia Pacific Mountain Network (APMN). It appeared in the current issue of the Asia-Pacific Mountain Courier (Mountain Courier) on ‘mountain biodiversity’. The issue is available online and in print, and is distributed free of cost to interested stakeholders.

Global Biodiversity Outlook 3

The Global Biodiversity Outlook (GBO) is a flagship publication of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) targeted at a variety of audiences to inform them of the importance of biodiversity; the third Global Biodiversity Outlook (GBO-3) was launched on May 2010 and informs of the progress made in meeting the 2010 Biodiversity Target. It is based on national reports submitted by over 100 countries, biodiversity indicators information, scientific literature, and a study assessing future biodiversity scenarios. Subject to an extensive independent scientific review process, publication of GBO-3 is one of the principal milestones of the UN’s International Year of Biodiversity.

Some alarming findings of the report include the decline in extent and integrity of natural habitats including freshwater wetlands, sea ice habitats, salt marshes, coral reefs, seagrass beds and shellfish reefs; increased extinction rates of up to 1,000 times the historical rates; continued decline in crop and genetic diversity in agricultural systems. It also mentions of “tipping points” where some ecosystems rapidly become less useful to humanity and could include rapid dieback of forest, algal takeover of watercourses and mass coral reef death leading to irreparable loss to biodiversity.

On the plus side, the report mentions that at least 31 bird species would have become extinct without conservation efforts. Creation of protected areas on land and in coastal waters too has made significant progress. Some 170 countries now have national action plans to counter biodiversity loss. The fact that investing a fraction of the money summoned up instantly by the world’s governments in 2008-9 to avoid economic meltdown can avoid a systemic break down of the Earth’s systems, also provides a glimmer of hope.

GBO-3 confirms that the world has failed to meet its target to achieve a significant reduction in the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010 at global, regional and national levels. None of the 21 subsidiary targets set at the Johannesburg summit in 2002 are being met by any of the countries globally, while some have been met partially or locally. The overall message from these indicators is that despite the many efforts taken around the world to conserve biodiversity and use it sustainably, responses so far have been inadequate to address the scale of biodiversity loss or reduce the pressures.

GBO-3 concludes that we can no longer see the continued loss of biodiversity as an issue separate from the core concerns of society and the linked challenges of biodiversity loss and climate change need to be addressed by policymakers. Biodiversity needs to be given due priority along with other objectives like tackling poverty and improving the health, wealth and security of present and future generations. Unless there is swift, radical and creative action to conserve and sustainably use the variety of life on Earth of rapid degradation and collapse natural systems that support economies, lives and livelihoods across the planet are at risk of rapid degradation and collapse.

For other issues of the Asia Pacific Mountain Courier, visit the following links.
Vol. 11, No. 1 (2010) | Vol. 10 No. 2 (2010) | Vol. 10, No. 1 (2009) | Archive of all APMN bulletins

An article on the Economist provides updates on the ongoing negotiations currently being pursued in Nagoya. More from WRI which takes on the need to address food security and a story on India being the first nation to audit its natural assets from the Guardian.