This
is the second part of the post on the
2019 Global Assessment of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services released by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and
Ecosystem Services (IPBES) in early May 2019.
Further Information on Key Issues from the
Report
Scale of Loss of Nature
· Gains
from societal and policy responses, while important, have not stopped massive
losses.
· Since
1970, trends in agricultural production, fish harvest, bioenergy production and
harvest of materials have increased, in response to population growth, rising
demand and technological development, this has come at a steep price, which has
been unequally distributed within and across countries. Many other key
indicators of nature’s contributions to people however, such as soil organic
carbon and pollinator diversity, have declined, indicating that gains in
material contributions are often not sustainable .
· The
pace of agricultural expansion into intact ecosystems has varied from country
to country. Losses of intact ecosystems have occurred primarily in the tropics,
home to the highest levels of biodiversity on the planet. For example, 100
million hectares of tropical forest were lost from 1980 to 2000, resulting
mainly from cattle ranching in Latin America (about 42 million hectares) and
plantations in South-East Asia (about 7.5 million hectares, of which 80% is for
palm oil, used mostly in food, cosmetics, cleaning products and fuel) among
others.
· Since
1970 the global human population has more than doubled (from 3.7 to 7.6
billion), rising unevenly across countries and regions; and per capita gross
domestic product is four times higher – with ever-more distant consumers
shifting the environmental burden of consumption and production across regions.
· The
average abundance of native species in most major land-based habitats has
fallen by at least 20%, mostly since 1900.
· The
numbers of invasive alien species per country have risen by about 70% since
1970, across the 21 countries with detailed records.
· The
distributions of almost half (47%) of land-based flightless mammals, for
example, and almost a quarter of threatened birds, may already have been
negatively affected by climate change.
Indigenous Peoples, Local Communities and Nature
· At
least a quarter of the global land area is traditionally owned, managed, used
or occupied by Indigenous Peoples. These areas include approximately 35% of the
area that is formally protected, and approximately 35% of all remaining
terrestrial areas with very low human intervention.
· Nature
managed by Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities is under increasing
pressure but is generally declining less rapidly than in other lands – although
72% of local indicators developed and used by Indigenous Peoples and Local
Communities show the deterioration of nature that underpins local livelihoods.
· The
areas of the world projected to experience significant negative effects from
global changes in climate, biodiversity, ecosystem functions and nature’s
contributions to people are also areas in which large concentrations of
Indigenous Peoples and many of the world’s poorest communities reside.
· Regional
and global scenarios currently lack and would benefit from an explicit
consideration of the views, perspectives and rights of Indigenous Peoples and
Local Communities, their knowledge and understanding of large regions and
ecosystems, and their desired future development pathways. Recognition of the
knowledge, innovations and practices, institutions and values of Indigenous
Peoples and Local Communities and their inclusion and participation in
environmental governance often enhances their quality of life, as well as
nature conservation, restoration and sustainable use. Their positive
contributions to sustainability can be facilitated through national recognition
of land tenure, access and resource rights in accordance with national
legislation, the application of free, prior and informed consent, and improved
collaboration, fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use, and
co-management arrangements with local communities.
Global Targets and Policy Scenarios
Past and ongoing rapid declines in
biodiversity, ecosystem functions and many of nature’s contributions to people
mean that most international societal and environmental goals, such as those
embodied in the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development will not be achieved based on current trajectories.
The authors of the Report examined six policy
scenarios – very different ‘baskets’ of clustered policy options and
approaches, including ‘Regional Competition’, ‘Business as Usual’ and ‘Global
Sustainability’ - projecting the likely impacts on biodiversity and nature’s
contributions to people of these pathways by 2050. They concluded that, except
in scenarios that include transformative change, the negative trends in nature,
ecosystem functions and in many of nature’s contributions to people will
continue to 2050 and beyond due to the projected impacts of increasing land and
sea use change, exploitation of organisms and climate change.
Policy Tools, Options and Exemplary Practices
Policy actions and societal initiatives are
helping to raise awareness about the impact of consumption on nature,
protecting local environments, promoting sustainable local economies and restoring
degraded areas. Together with initiatives at various levels these have
contributed to expanding and strengthening the current network of ecologically
representative and well-connected protected area networks and other effective
area-based conservation measures, the protection of watersheds and incentives
and sanctions to reduce pollution .
The Report presents an illustrative list of
possible actions and pathways for achieving them across locations, systems and
scales, which will be most likely to support sustainability. Some highlights:
Agriculture:
· Promoting
good agricultural and agroecological practices
· Multifunctional
landscape planning (which simultaneously provides food security, livelihood
opportunities, maintenance of species and ecological functions) and
cross-sectoral integrated management.
· Deeper
engagement of all actors throughout the food system (including producers, the
public sector, civil society and consumers) and more integrated landscape and
watershed management
· Conservation
of the diversity of genes, varieties, cultivars, breeds, landraces and species
as well as approaches that empower consumers and producers through market
transparency, improved distribution and localization (that revitalizes local
economies), reformed supply chains and reduced food waste.
Marine
systems:
· Ecosystem-based
approaches to fisheries management, spatial planning, effective quotas, marine
protected areas, protecting and managing key marine biodiversity areas,
reducing run-off pollution into oceans and working closely with producers and
consumers.
Freshwater systems:
· More
inclusive water governance for collaborative water management and greater
equity
· Better
integration of water resource management and landscape planning across scales
promoting practices to reduce soil erosion, sedimentation and pollution run-off
· Promoting
investment in water projects with clear sustainability criteria
· Addressing
the fragmentation of many freshwater policies.
Urban areas:
· Promotion
of nature-based solutions
· Increasing
access to urban services and a healthy urban environment for low-income
communities
· Improving
access to green spaces
· Sustainable
production and consumption
· Ecological
connectivity within urban spaces, particularly with native species.
Across all examples, the Report recognises
the importance of including different value systems and diverse interests and
worldviews in formulating policies and actions. This includes the full and
effective participation of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities in
governance, the reform and development of incentive structures and ensuring
that biodiversity considerations are prioritised across all key sector
planning.
