Land; sea use changes are drivers of biodiversity loss
- November 13, 2022
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
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Land; sea use changes are drivers of biodiversity loss
Subject : Environment
Context-
- A new analysis of studies published since 2005 concludes that land and sea use change has been the dominant anthropogenic driver of global biodiversity loss.
- Direct exploitation of natural resources is the second most dominant driver on land, but the most important one for the oceans.
The many factors-
- The Asia Pacific region lost 45 per cent of its vertebrate population in four-and-half decades, while the global average is 68 per cent.
- Five major reasons behind the biodiversity loss across the planet-
- Changes in land and sea use (habitat loss and degradation),
- Overexploitation of species,
- Invasive species and disease,
- Pollution and
- Climate change.
- In the Asia Pacific region including India, habitat loss was the biggest trigger followed by species overexploitation and invasive species and disease.
- The WWF factsheet stated that almost a third of Indian wetlands have been affected by the combined pressure of urbanisation, agricultural activities and pollution.
- Habitat fragmentation and pollution, especially from pesticides and insecticides, are playing havoc with the biodiversity status of the country.
- It also put up data to highlight how forest land has been diverted and has been affecting biodiversity.
- About 43 per cent of forest land recommended for diversion in 2019 falls in ecologically sensitive wildlife habitats.