Endangered species are key to our survival

Endangered species are key to our survival

News:

India submitted its sixth national report to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity

Important Facts:

• The report highlights two mixed front:
  • One, the country is on track to meet most of its national biodiversity targets,
  • Second, is that the list of animal species from the country under the international ‘red list’ in the critically endangered, endangered and threatened categories has been increasing over the years.

About sixth national report to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity

• The NR6 provides an update of progress in achievement of 12 National Biodiversity Targets (NBT) developed under the Convention process in line with the 20 global Aichi biodiversity targets

Highlight of the NR6 report:

• The report highlights that while India had already exceeded two targets, it was on track to achieve another eight soon.
• India is among the first five countries in the world, the first in Asia and the first among the biodiversity rich megadiverse countries to have submitted NR6 to the CBD Secretariat
• While globally, biodiversity is facing increasing pressure on account of habitat fragmentation and destruction, invasive alien species, pollution, climate change and overuse of resources, India is one of the few countries where forest cover is on the rise, with its forests teeming with wildlife
• India is on track to achieve the biodiversity targets at the national level and is also contributing significantly towards achievement of the global biodiversity targets
• India has nearly two-thirds of the population of wild tigers in the world. The population of lion has risen from 177 in 1968 to over 520 in 2015, and elephants from 12,000 in 1970s to 30,000 in 2015.
• One-horned Indian Rhino which was on the brink of extinction during the early 20th century, now number 2,400
• India has also made noteworthy achievement towards NBT relating to access and benefit sharing (ABS) by operationalizing the Nagoya Protocol on ABS
• India has done well on raising awareness about biodiversity, which is an important thrust area in several programmes of the Government.

Concern shown in report:

• The stress on India’s wildlife is increasing by the day.
• There are reports of or animal deaths from accidents because project developers don’t take into account animal corridors while building infrastructure.
• Wildlife crime is also becoming a key threat due to the increased demand for wildlife derivatives ranging from tiger and leopard bones to pangolin scales and bear bile.
• India might not meet the international target of identifying wildlife and marine-protected areas by 2020, making the challenge of conserving species much more difficult.

How does the loss of species alter ecosystems?

• Animal, plant and marine biodiversity keeps ecosystems functional. Healthy ecosystems allow us to survive, get enough food to eat and make a living. When species disappear or fall in number, ecosystems and people — especially the world’s poorest — suffer.
• A recent study published in Nature reveals the extinction of plant or animal species from extreme environmental change, increases the risk of an “extinction domino effect” that could annihilate all life on Earth.