South African Biodiversity Media
Dead Planet, living planet; Biodiversity and ecosystems
Ecosystem services valued at over US $72 trillion a year.
Yet two thirds are considered degraded from damage, mismanagement and failure to invest and re-invest in productivity, health and sustainability.
Roll the statistics around in your mind, say them out loud and roll them off your tongue. Look out the window and think about them: natural wetlands provide services of nearly US $7 trillion, forest wetlands treat more wastewater per unit of energy and have up to 22 fold higher cost-benefit ratios than traditional sand filtration in treatment plants. Crops including the cup of tea, or coffee that you had this morning rely on pollination and pest control services of birds and insects. Projected loss of ecosystem service could lead up to 25% loss in food production and by 2050 increase the risk of hunger. These are a few of the statistics mentioned in UNEP's report; Dead planet, living planet: Biodiversity and ecosystem restoration for sustainable development.
Read more: www.southafricanbiodiversity.co.za/economy/608-dead-plane...
Dead Planet, living planet; Biodiversity and ecosystems
Ecosystem services valued at over US $72 trillion a year.
Yet two thirds are considered degraded from damage, mismanagement and failure to invest and re-invest in productivity, health and sustainability.
Roll the statistics around in your mind, say them out loud and roll them off your tongue. Look out the window and think about them: natural wetlands provide services of nearly US $7 trillion, forest wetlands treat more wastewater per unit of energy and have up to 22 fold higher cost-benefit ratios than traditional sand filtration in treatment plants. Crops including the cup of tea, or coffee that you had this morning rely on pollination and pest control services of birds and insects. Projected loss of ecosystem service could lead up to 25% loss in food production and by 2050 increase the risk of hunger. These are a few of the statistics mentioned in UNEP's report; Dead planet, living planet: Biodiversity and ecosystem restoration for sustainable development.
Read more: www.southafricanbiodiversity.co.za/economy/608-dead-plane...