Session 2: Biodiversity Loss. TEEB Training

Transcription

1 Session 2: Biodiversity Loss

2 What is nature worth? Video Institute on Environment, Minnesota: Big Question: What Is Nature Worth?" YouTube

3 Let s define. Biodiversity loss: The decline of genetic diversity and distribution and abundance of species diversity, the loss of ecosystem structures, and/or the impairment of ecological functions Ecosystem degradation: A persistent reduction in the capacity to provide ecosystem services. Natural capital: An extension of the economic notion of capital (manufactured means of production) to environmental 'goods and services'. UNEP/GRID-Arendal

4 2000 Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency

5 2050 Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency

6 Level of Biodiversity in the World from 2000 and 2050:OECD/Globio

7 Impact of Biodiversity Loss Pollution in the mangroves of Bali Deforestation in the Amazon Litter at the docks in Seychelles Houses collapsing due to coastal erosion in Alaska UNEP/GRID-Arendal

8 The Key drivers Population size (reaching ~9 billion people) Lifestyle changes (increasing urbanisation and per capita income growing 2-4 times) Governance and policy responses (coordinating responses to global challenges) Land conversion and habitat loss (converting 10-20% of additional grassland and forestland) Overexploitation incl. overfishing (increasing pressure) UNEP/GRID-Arendal

9 UNEP/GRID-Arendal Key drivers cont Invasive alien species (continuing spread) Reactive nitrogen flow (increasing by another 66% already doubled during the past 50 years) Climate change (continuing global warming expected to become the predominant global cause of ecosystem degradation and ecosystem service loss) Pollution (mainly from excessive pesticide use in agriculture and aquaculture; urban and industrial effluents; mining waste; and excessive fertilizer use etc)

10 The Impact on ecosystems Biodiversity (loss) Fisheries exploitation Source: FAO 2005a: 7 Coral reefs at risk Source: Nellemann et al 2008: Millennium Ecosystems Assessment Forestry deforestation, afforestation

11 MA s major findings regarding ecosystems The structure and functioning of the world s ecosystems has changed rapidly the past 50 years 20% of the world s coral reefs have been lost and more than 20% are degraded 35% of mangrove area has been lost in the last several decades Rate of species extinction is estimated to be 100 to 1,000 times more rapid than the natural extinction rate In the past two decades, 35% of mangroves have disappeared. UNEP/GRID-Arendal

12 Additional findings from other resources FAO: Global Forest Area has shrunk by approximately 40% since 1700, Forests have completely disappeared in 25 countries Ramsar: Since 1900, the world has lost about 50% of its wetlands Global coral reef monitoring network: Some 20% of the 4 world s coral reefs- have been effectively destroyed by fishing, pollution, disease and coral bleaching approximately 24% of the remaining reefs in the world are imminent risk of collapse through human pressures

13 What is happening to Biodiversity?

14 Why does Biodiversity loss matter? 2005 Millennium Ecosystems Assessment

15 Has The Earth passed its tipping point? Video Institute on Environment, Minnesota, 2010

16 GDP & Natural Capital Loss How they (don t) Fit Relative to 2000 GDP: 41.4$ trillion (PPP) (10^12) GDP/capita: 680$ (PPP) Population: 6092 million GDP (OECD Scenarios) 2.8%/year GDP, with feedback on economic losses from biodiversity losses integrated - illustrative Population 9100 million GDP adjusted for well-being impact of biodiversity loss - illustrative Year 2000 Ecosystem service level Services that would have been there, had biodiversity been halted Year 2050 IEEP, 2009

17 Key Reasons to End the Economic Invisibility of Nature Costs and risks of business as usual (BAU) are too large to ignore BAU can also exacerbate poverty Economic solutions exist across policy & business which begin by valuing nature UNEP/GRID-Arendal To realize the productive and employment potential of Natural Capital stewardship

18 Responding to natures Invisibilities; A Recap so far The value of biodiversity and ecosystem services is not being fully reflected in the markets, price signals and policies Decision making (at company, policy & citizen level) often fails to take into account the local to global benefits of biodiversity and ecosystem services Assessing ecosystem service benefits is critical There is a need to improve the economic signals to help take the values of nature into account There is a growing recognition of the need to improve and invest political capital in natural capital accounts and integrated environmental and economic accounts

19 Group Exercise 3 Identify: In pairs of two, 1) Identify the drivers of biodiversity loss? 2) What types of biodiversity loss are currently happening in your country. Brainstorm: what possible solutions could there be for these issues in your country? Master isolated images/freedigitalphotos.net