The midterm report card on global biodiversity targets is in 鈥� and the grades are not good.
A new study published today in the journal Science looks at the progress the international community has made towards achieving the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, a set of 20 biodiversity-related goals agreed upon by 193 nations in 2010. The study鈥檚 conclusion: despite some progress, most of the Aichi targets will not be met by their 2020 deadline if global biodiversity remains on its current trajectory.
And yet Derek Tittensor, the study鈥檚 lead author, is optimistic.
鈥淲e still have time to turn this around,鈥� says Dr. Tittensor, an adjunct professor based in Dal鈥檚 Department of Biology and senior marine biodiversity scientist at the United Nations Environment Program鈥檚 World Conservation Monitoring Centre.
鈥淩ight now we鈥檙e not on course to meet these targets, but by measuring them and seeing how we鈥檒l we鈥檙e doing, we can look at investing more resources, setting up more protected areas and so-forth, and move towards a more sustainable world.鈥�
The importance of biodiversity
The study involved a team of 51 experts from over 30 institutions 鈥� universities, government agencies, NGOs 鈥� assessing how well the global community is doing in reaching the 20 Aichi Targets. The targets represent the largest international commitment towards preserving biodiversity.
The researchers, which included Dal masters student Greg Britten and postdoc Daniel Boyce, gathered and analyzed available data on a wide variety of biodiversity measures: species counts, protected areas, habitat loss, forestry and fishery policies and more.
鈥淚f ecosystems underpin life on this planet 鈥� they provide food, water filtration, and so-on 鈥� it鈥檚 biodiversity that underpins ecosystems,鈥� explains Dr. Tittensor, who completed both his PhD and post-doctoral studies at Dal and has generated international headlines with several of his biodiversity studies.
鈥淯nderstanding and measuring biodiversity enables us to predict and project how ecosystems will change into the future and, from there, the effect this might have on human life.鈥�
The good news is that, on certain targets, the global community is making substantial progress. These include more commitment to sustainability certification schemes for forests and fisheries, and better management of these particular resources in many parts of the world. There鈥檚 also greater public awareness of and government investment in biodiversity and measures to improve and protect it.
The bad news is that pressures on biodiversity 鈥� from consumption of natural resources to habitat loss 鈥� appear to be outstripping efforts to protect it.
鈥淲e鈥檙e making some effort, but at the moment we鈥檙e not seeing the benefits,鈥� says Dr. Tittensor. 鈥淭he question is why, and there are several possibilities.
鈥淥ne is we simply haven鈥檛 invested enough, that it will take a lot more resources 鈥� financial, managerial, political 鈥� to turn this around. Another possibility is there鈥檚 a time lag: it may be 20, 30, 40 years until we really start to see the effects of these investments we鈥檝e made.鈥�
Need for improvement
Dr. Tittensor is hopeful the new study will spark further discussion and action around global biodiversity, and that its analysis offers some solid baselines for evaluating how well the international community is doing towards protecting biodiversity as Aichi鈥檚 2020 deadline approaches.
鈥淭he takeaway lesson is the same as if this report card were being given to a student: work harder, put more effort in and you can improve your grades,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e鈥檝e done well in some places, but in the majority of aspects we need, as a society and as nations, to put more effort into improved biodiversity protection, as biodiversity and ecosystems are fundamental to our existence.