June 5th: World Environmental Day_Loss of Biodiversity

The latest reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and Climate Change (IPCC) highlight the dramatic loss of biodiversity and the need to develop mechanisms to protect it given its importance, and given that it provides ecosystem services such as food provision, climate regulation, air and water quality, and ensure the persistence of healthy ecosystems. The constant loss of biological diversity is an economic, environmental and social problem that can jeopardize the achievement of the sustainable development goals (SDGs), and consequently affect human well-being and increase poverty.

Evidence that human activity is altering the functioning of the planet has led to coining the term "anthropocene" to refer to a new geological period, where humanity has become a fundamental biogeochemical agent, with the capability to transform not only its own life, but also the whole planet. Climate change of anthropogenic origin and the ecological crisis that accompanies it cause sea levels to rise with the disappearance of many coastal areas, coral bleaching, changes in species distribution and species disappearance among other issues.

Solutions are to make human populations aware of the need to manage and preserve our environment in a sustainable way, and change into an economical model not based on the consumption of resources and products as if they were unlimited. We need a development and economic model sensitive to the health of the planet that is ultimately for the health of humans. This change into a long-term green economy is also presently positive in economical terms (less health spending, less investing on pesticides, etc.) and for future generations.

Healthy and well-preserved ecosystems allow the regeneration of resources, and ultimately ecosystems services. Hence, food production or other products are not threatened by mismanagement of own resources and the management and conservation of nature.

The ecological crisis and the loss of biodiversity are intrinsically linked to planetary health. The study of biodiversity is important to be able to make a good conservation management for ecosystems resilience and the maintenance of healthy ecosystem services on a unified one world.

#ForNature