Biodiversity for life

Life is what makes the Earth go round, literally. Even as we search for life on Mars, Titan and worlds beyond, we are yet to understand completely the sheer variety of life on Earth itself. This is called Biodiversity. Biological diversity - or biodiversity - is the term given to the variety of life on Earth and the natural patterns it forms.

The biodiversity we see today is the fruit of billions of years of evolution, shaped by natural processes and, increasingly, by the influence of humans. It forms the web of life of which we are an integral part and upon which we so fully depend. Biodiversity also includes genetic differences within each species - for example, between varieties of crops and breeds of livestock. Chromosomes, genes, and DNA-the building blocks of life-determine the uniqueness of each individual and each species. Biodiversity is the foundation for life and for the essential services provided by ecosystems.

Variety

Sri Lanka itself is a biodiversity hotspot, with a huge variety of endemic flora and fauna. As we have seen, biodiversity underpins peoples’ livelihoods and sustainable development in all areas of activity, including economic sectors such as agriculture, forestry, fisheries and tourism. If we can halt the loss of biodiversity, we can focus more on investing in people, their lives and their well-being.

Today, which happens to be the day following Vesak, is also the International Day of Biological Diversity. The Buddha was a great religious leader who stood for the right to life of all living beings and it is rather fitting that the two events have coincided. Buddhism espouses compassion towards all living beings and in ensuring biodiversity, compassion plays a central role. For example, if people stop killing certain exotic animals for their body parts, biodiversity will increase.

The United Nations General Assembly, on 20 December 2000, proclaimed 22 May as The International Day for Biological Diversity, to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues. The date designated for the day was chosen to commemorate the adoption of the text of the Convention on 22 May 1992 by the Nairobi Final Act of the Conference for the Adoption of the Agreed Text of the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Created

The day was first created by the Second Committee of the UN General Assembly in late 1993, and the UN General Assembly, designated December 29th (the date of entry into force of the Convention of Biological Diversity) the International Day for Biological Diversity. However, it was difficult for many countries to plan and carry out suitable celebrations for the date of 29th and it was shifted to May 22.

The day’s activities will continue to the thirteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 13) to be held in Cancun, Mexico from 4 to 17 December 2016. It will focus on the mainstreaming of biodiversity within and across sectors, which is closely linked to this year’s IDB theme.

This year’s theme is “Biodiversity, Sustaining Life on Earth”. Indeed, it is variety of life that sustains the Earth. Biodiversity is an important issue in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Goal 15 explicitly recognises the importance of halting biodiversity loss, and other Goals recognize the importance of biological diversity for eradicating poverty, providing food and fresh-water, and improving life in cities.

Surface

We have barely scratched the surface when it comes to life on earth, especially in the deep oceans. So far, about 1.75 million species have been identified. Scientists believe that there are actually about 13 million species, though estimates range from three to 100 million.

The deep ocean is the biggest and least-explored area of the planet. At depths of up to 6,500m, it is extremely energy-deficient, yet it is home to a massive variety of life. As scientists begin to get a better understanding of this vast ecosystem, it is becoming increasingly apparent how important they are to the rest of the planet. Millions of species on land and in the water are waiting to be discovered and named. Each species is important in the circle of life, though some are of critical importance. For example, if the bees were to vanish tomorrow, the Earth would probably be devoid of most forms of life in a decade or so. Thus, there is a lot more to learn about life on Earth.

Species

Even as we find new species, certain existing species are vanishing at an alarming rate, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. Some species (both flora and fauna) are down to only a few individuals who are at a reproductive age. For example, environmentalists warned last week that the vaquita marina, the world’s smallest porpoise endemic to Mexico, is on the brink of extinction. The Mexican government reported that only 60 are now left in the wild. With the recent spate of killings, the Sri Lankan leopard is also facing difficult times ahead.

Nearly 80,000 plant species out if 391,000 listed in a recent Royal Botanical Gardens (RBG) study report are facing extinction. The comprehensive global assessment of the state of world’s plants, published on May 9, has been carried out by over 80 scientists attached to the RBG Kew, the IUCN, and the Natural History Museum.

Consume

We do consume some biological resources, such as trees and animals including fish. But what would happen if we harvest fish without controls or limits? There will be no seafood left for consumption in a few years. In fact, unsustainable consumption continues even as demand for resources worldwide exceeds the biological capacity of the Earth by about 20 percent. This is an alarming situation that has to be contained.

The good news is that more countries are starting to take notice. One of our South Asian neighbours, Bhutan, recently became the first country to meet calls for “nature needs half” by setting aside over half of its land into protected areas and biological corridors under its “Bhutan for Life” program.

Bhutan now has ten protected areas along with the Royal Botanic Gardens of Lamperi located an hour outside the capital Thimphu which is probably the only botanic garden in the world where wild tigers roam. This is exactly the type of initiative that we need to stave off further loss of biodiversity around the world.