THE MILLENNIUM ECOSYSTEM ASSESSMENT

Transcription

1 THE MILLENNIUM ECOSYSTEM ASSESSMENT Dr Sriyanie Miththapala INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE

2 THE LINKS BETWEEN BIODIVERSITY, ECOSYSTEM SERVICES AND HUMAN WELL-BEING INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE 2

3 SOME TERMINOLOGY Biodiversity. Ecosystem. Ecosystem services. INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE 3

4 BIODIVERSITY Biodiversity is the variety and variability of all life and life processes on earth. 4

5 ECOSYSTEM a unit formed of groups of organisms that interact with each other and with their physical environment. 5

6 WHY IS BIODIVERSITY (INCLUDING ECOSYSTEMS) IMPORTANT TO HUMANS? 6

7 BECAUSE THEY PROVIDE US WITH ECOSYSTEM SERVICES Ecosystem services are the range of benefits that ecosystems provide humans. 7

8 ECOSYSTEM SERVICES Provisioning services, Regulating services, Supporting services, and Cultural services 8

9 Provisioning services Food Wood Medicines Fuelwood and fuel Fibre Non-timber forest products etc. 9

10 Therefore, natural resources forms the basis for Livestock industry, Agricultural industry, Fisheries industry, Timber industry, Pharmaceutical industry, Many livelihoods. 10

11 Regulating services such as Climate regulation Flood regulation Water purification 11

12 Supporting services such as Food production, Balancing gases in the atmosphere, Formation of soil, Degradation of waste, Nutrient and water cycling and Pollination. 12

13 Cultural services such as Spiritual enrichment Education Recreation Aesthetic experience 13

14 The bottom line is that without the biodiversity and ecosystem services We can t live and Most of us won t have jobs. 14

15 The Millennium Ecosystem assessment (MA) In 2000, Kofi Annan called for a scientific assessment of the state of the Earth. 1,300 scientists from 94 countries participated. They put human well-being at the centre of this assessment on ecosystems. 15

16 16 The benefits that humans obtain from ecosystem services

17 And related it directly to human well-being. 17

18 Ecosystem Services and Human Well-being 18

19 19 Ecosystem well-being = Human well-being

20 20 This is the link that underpins all DRR work and sustainable development.

21 STATE OF THE PLANET (MA findings): Over the past 50 years, humans have changed ecosystems more rapidly and extensively than in any comparable period of time in human history. This has resulted in a substantial and largely irreversible loss in biodiversity. 21

22 20% of the world s coral reefs were lost and 20% degraded in the last several decades. 35% of mangrove area has been lost in the last several decades. Withdrawals from rivers and lakes doubled since

23 Flows of biologically available nitrogen in terrestrial ecosystems doubled, phosphorous tripled. Humans have increased the species extinction rate by as much as 1,000 times over background rates typical over the planet s history. 23

24 This means that ecosystem services are being affected negatively. 24

25 STATUS OF PROVISIONING SERVICES Service Status Food crops livestock capture fisheries aquaculture wild foods Fiber timber +/ cotton, silk +/ wood fuel Genetic resources Biochemicals, medicines Fresh water 25

26 STATUS OF OTHER SERVICES Status Regulating Services Air quality regulation Climate regulation global Climate regulation regional and local Water regulation +/ Erosion regulation Water purification and waste treatment Disease regulation +/ Pest regulation Pollination Natural hazard regulation Cultural Services Spiritual and religious values Aesthetic values Recreation and ecotourism +/ 26

27 THE ECONOMIC VALUE OF THESE SERVICES 27

28 Market value of provisioning-service industries Food production: $980 billion per year. Timber industry: $400 billion per year. Marine fisheries: $80 billion per year. 28

29 OTHER ECONOMIC VALUES OF ECOSYSTEM SERVICES 500 million people depend on coral reefs for their livelihoods. In India, forests provide water regulation and flood control valued at 72 billion USD per year. 29

30 But at the same time, Ecosystems and their services are being constantly changed by human activities. 30

31 31 Human Well-being Basic materials for a good life Health Good social relations Security Freedom of choice and action Indirect drivers of change Demographic Economic Sociopolitical Science and technology Culture and religion Direct drivers of change Changes in land use Species introduction or removal Technology adaptation and use External inputs (irrigation) Resource consumption Climate change Natural hazards

32 Negative change: threats to ecosystem wellbeing What are the threats to ecosystems? 32

33 Overexploitation Habitat destruction Pollution Invasive alien species Climate Change 33

34 OVEREXPLOITATION Will affect food security Health Shelter Personal security Livelihoods etc. 34

35 Habitat destruction Deforestation and destruction of wetlands. 35

36 HABITAT DESTRUCTION Will affect personal security Health Shelter Personal security Livelihoods etc. 36

37 Pollution Solid waste pollution 37

38 Water Pollution Sewage Other domestic pollution Industrial pollution Marine pollution: engine oil, oil spills. 38

39 Air pollution Carbon Dioxide climate change Methane climate change Nitrogen Acid rain Sulphur dioxide Acid rain Soot and particulate matter lung disease. Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) hole in the ozone layer, increase in skin cancer 39

40 Pollution will lead to Water stress Increase in disease, affecting health Decrease in livelihoods 40

41 Invasive Alien Species Are introduced species that do not remain confined to the area into which they were introduced. They become established in natural ecosystems and threaten native species. 41

42 Invasive Alien Species cause enormous economic damage Annual damage from IAS in the USA is 137 billion USD. Rabbits in Australia cost the government 60 million AUD. 42

43 IAS Can cause water stress Can increase in disease, affecting health Can negatively affect livelihoods Can negatively affect food security. 43

44 Climate change 44

45 45 Of the many impacts of climate change, the increase in natural disasters is a major one. In 2005, natural disasters caused 220 billion USD worth of damage.

46 Climate change Will make a bad situation worse. Will have a synergistic effect on all other threats. 46

47 THE CONCLUSIONS We are damaging ecosystems irreversibly. This means that the services that ecosystems provide us are also damaged. This means that human well-being is also affected. 47

48 THEREFORE, WHENEVER WE CARRY OUT ANY PROGRAMMES WE HAVE TO ASK Are we harming ecosystems and their services? If we are, we are harming human-well being. If we are, we are harming long term sustainability. 48

49 WE HAVE TO ASK OURSELVES Are we over-exploiting natural resources? Is there habitat destruction? Is there pollution? Are Invasive alien species spreading? Are we taking precautions against climate change? 49

50 Very simple foundation that we are proposing Ecosystem well-being = Human well-being Therefore, if ecosystems are negatively affected, Human well-being is also negatively affected. 50 Are there threats to ecosystems from our actions: Overexploitation Habitat Destruction Pollution IAS Climate change

51 51 Superimpose this base on the DM cycle

52 52

53 Step 1: Identify clearly where temporary shelters will be put up in the event of a natural disaster (prevent Habitat destruction) Ensure that environmentally sensitive areas are not cleared in the event of a disaster. Ensure that protected areas are not encroached up in the event of a disaster. Ensure that coastal morphology is not changed when temporary shelters are set up in the event of a disaster. Step 2: Identify the sources from which natural resources such as timber and fuelwood will be obtained in the event of a disaster (Prevent over-exploitation). Ensure that timber is not sourced illegally but instead, obtained from sustainably managed forests. Ensure that fuelwood will not be obtained illegally from protected areas. 53

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SAFEGUARDS ENVIRONMENTAL SAFEGUARDS ENVIRONMENTAL SAFEGUARDS ENVIRONMENTAL SAFEGUARDS ENVIRONMENTAL SAFEGUARDS ENVIRONMENTAL SAFEGUARDS 54

55 We emphasise that policy decisions and actions taken during prevention and mitigation (BEFORE) have enormous and far reaching impacts on all stages of post disaster management. All decisions and actions taken after a disaster will be justified based on information gathered and actions taken during the pre-disaster phases of prevention and mitigation. Therefore, the success of post disaster management depends entirely on pre-disaster management. 55

56 DISASTER MANAGEMENT ENVIRONMENTAL SAFEGUARDS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 56