How global crises are connected

Context: Some of the biggest challenges humankind faces are like, climate change,
biodiversity, loss and hunger. All of these are interconnected, which means
that an integrated approach is needed to address these. The report was produced
by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity &
Ecosystem Services (IPBES), a global group of scientific experts. The group examined
the interlinkages among five major challenges which are, climate change,
biodiversity loss, food insecurity, water scarcity, and health risks. The
report found that the world’s current economic direction was negatively
impacting all these challenges, leading to unaccounted for cost of at least $10-25
trillion annually.

Key points

·       Overview: Recently, the
Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem
Services (IPBES) has launched the Nexus report. The final full report will be
published in 2025, and it is expected to further guide global efforts toward
addressing these interconnected crises.

·       About
IPBES: It is an independent intergovernmental body established in 2012. It
provides policymakers with objective scientific assessments about the state of
knowledge regarding the planet’s biodiversity, ecosystems and the benefits they
provide to people, as well as the tools and methods to protect and sustainably
use these vital natural assets. This independent body inspired by the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the Millennium Ecosystem
Assessment.

Purpose - IPBES was
established in 2012 to strengthen the science-policy interface for biodiversity
and ecosystem services. Its goals include conservation and sustainable use of
biodiversity, human well-being, and sustainable development.

Membership - IPBES has 150
member governments, including India, which was a founding member.

Structure - IPBES is not a
United Nations body, but the UN Environment Programme provides secretariat
services.

Recent news - IPBES recently
launched the Nexus report and was selected as one of the two recipients of the
2024 Blue Planet Prize.

·       Key
Highlights from the Report: The Nexus Report includes 186 scenarios,
projecting interactions between the Nexus elements until 2050-2100. This Report
provides over 70 solutions for managing the intersection of biodiversity,
water, food, health, and climate change.

The report
identifies the drivers of biodiversity loss as follows-

Ø  Indirect drivers
-
Overconsumption, waste, and population growth.

Ø  Direct drivers - Land use change
and pollution.

The world has
been witnessing biodiversity decline at the rate of about 2-6 percent on an
average every decade over the last half a century.

Existing
policies have failed to address the complexity of interlinked challenges, often
prioritizing one aspect (e.g., food production or climate change) at the
expense of others thus leading to adverse outcomes.

Ø  Economic
policies often ignore the environmental costs, leading to $10-25 trillion per
year in unaccounted costs related to biodiversity, water, health, and climate
change.

Ø  Delays in
addressing these issues could double costs and result in irreparable
biodiversity loss and increased financial burdens in the future.

Illegal resource
extraction, including wildlife trade, timber, and fisheries, is valued at
$100-300 billion annually, which further degrades ecosystems.

Ø  In contrast,
global expenditure on biodiversity protection is less than 1% of global GDP.

Ø  Negative
externalities from sectors like fossil fuels and agriculture, which affect
biodiversity and water systems, cost up to $25 trillion annually.

·       Impact
on Ecosystems: Forests, that provide vital ecosystem
services like water filtration, are under threat due to deforestation,
impacting water availability and quality.

Wetlands are critical in
water regulation and climate change mitigation but are being degraded by human
activities.

Freshwater
biodiversity is deteriorating faster than terrestrial ecosystems due to human
activities.

Marine and
freshwater species, particularly those in coastal and wetland areas,
are especially vulnerable to pollution, sediments, and other anthropogenic
stressors.

Coral reefs face multiple
threats, including unsustainable fishing, ocean acidification, and climate
change, endangering about a third of coral species globally.

·       Conclusion
of the report: The report suggests that Governments should act
decisively and collaborate across sectors to meet global environmental and
health commitments, such as the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris
Agreement. The report warns that delaying action would significantly increase
costs, with potential economic benefits from immediate action estimated at $10
trillion in business opportunities and 400 million jobs by 2030.