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website 31 Mar 05 WWF reacts to the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment findings Washington, DC – A newly released scientific study reinforces the need for governments, the private sector, and the international community to protect natural systems for the sake of humanity, according to WWF. Unprecedented in its size and scope, the new Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Synthesis Report reveals that approximately 60 per cent of the ecosystem services that support life on Earth – such as fresh water, fisheries, air, climate – are being degraded or used unsustainably. Scientists warn that the harmful consequences of this degradation could grow significantly worse in the next 50 years. “This is really a scientific wake-up call about the importance and urgency of conservation,” said Carter Roberts, WWF chief conservation officer and COO. “The assessment removes any doubts that the quality of humanity’s future is tied to our treatment of the natural world, even of ecosystems far away." Recent experience demonstrates the kind of human dependence on healthy ecosystems highlighted throughout the report. In light of the tsunami that struck Southeast Asia last December, mangroves protected many sections of Indian Ocean coastline from greater devastation. Mangrove conservation efforts not only provided that vital protection, they also ensure a vital food supply by preserving the mangroves’ role as nurseries for coral reef fish. “The work we do every day is about finding solutions to the very issues the report says humanity must confront,” added Roberts. “We have known for a long time that ecosystem processes that support biodiversity also support human well-being.” A recent WWF project in Central America, for example, recently found that coffee farmers within one kilometer of tropical forests received markedly higher pollination services from the nearby tropical forest than those located farther away. The growers yielded 20 per cent more coffee as a result of the proximity to the tropical forest, and their livelihood was improved. “Ecosystems are capital assets that we often don't include on our balance sheets,” said Dr. Taylor Ricketts, Director of the WWF Conservation Science Program and a contributor to the Millenium Ecosystem Assessment. "If we did the services they supply would dwarf everything else in value." "The sooner we realize this and behave accordingly, the better chance we have of meeting human needs sustainably and conserving the diversity of life on earth.” In response to the significance of the MEA’s findings, WWF, together with several of the world’s leading international conservation organizations – Birdlife International, Conservation International, IUCN-The World Conservation Union, Fauna & Flora International, the Nature Conservancy, Wetlands International and the Wildlife Conservation Society — are pledging to work together to conserve ecosystems for the improvement of human well-being. Together they call on world governments to recognize the importance of achieving environmental sustainability, and the private sector to take greater responsibility for its social and environmental impacts. links Related articles on Global issues: biodiversity biodiversity loss, extinction threats, commercial applications of biodiversity |
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