Earth Today | CARICOM Secretariat urges cooperation for conservation
Published:Thursday | May 26, 2022 | 12:10 AM
THE CARIBBEAN Community (CARICOM) Secretariat has noted the need to promote and support collaboration among member states, and regional and international partners, in the promotion of urgent action to reshape the region's vision for biodiversity.
Biodiversity refers to all the forms of life on earth, from ecosystems to animals, plants, fungi, microorganisms, and the inherited traits within species.
“Progress in all fronts must be realised through a broad alliance of people, governments, civil society and the private sector; and solutions must ensure the integration of cross-sectoral strategies and actions to achieve the future we want for present and future generations, and a world living in harmony with nature,” the secretariat said in a statement issued in observance of International Day for Biodiversity, celebrated on May 22.
The statement came against the background of celebrations held under the theme 'Building a shared future for all life'.
According to the secretariat, the integration of biodiversity into economic sectors is an important move, “given the region's dependence on natural resources for livelihoods and well-being”.
“The need to have strong and resilient ecosystems is also a necessity, given our exposure to disruption and environmental disasters of communities in the region. The Caribbean Community therefore echoes the calls for action for more ecosystem-based solutions for addressing biodiversity loss, climate change and land degradation simultaneously,” it said.
The effort to build back better with COVID-19 offers an opportunity to do so.
“As the region seeks to recover from the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is timely that as a Caribbean community we re-examine our relationship with nature, recognising that, despite all our advances, we will always remain dependent on healthy and vibrant ecosystems,” the secretariat noted.
And there is guidance available.
“A draft CARICOM Environmental and Natural Resources Policy Framework, currently under consideration by CARICOM member states, will provide an enabling platform for acknowledging the vital role that land, air, water and oceans play in sustaining economic, social and environmental development of the community,” the secretariat explained.
“This, along with the Draft Caribbean Biodiversity Strategy, also under review by member states, outlines the vision to conserve and sustainably use the marine and terrestrial biodiversity in the Caribbean Basin, including their access and benefits arising from the use of genetic resources,” it added.
Meanwhile, the need to give attention to biodiversity is reflected in existing data on the subject.
“The highest levels of terrestrial biodiversity are found in tropical forests, which host over 80 per cent of species of terrestrial animals, plants and fungi. Around 1.6 billion people depend on forests for their livelihood, and a quarter of all modern medicines come from tropical forest plants,” stated a 2020 briefing note published by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
“Yet, deforestation is continuing at an alarming rate, particularly in tropical regions: seven million hectares of forest, an area roughly the size of the Republic of Ireland, are destroyed every year, particularly in tropical regions,” it added.
At the same time, the briefing note said that the need to conserve goes beyond the terrestrial environment.
“Oceans also play a vital role in climate change mitigation, are a source of protein for some three billion people, and contain countless species we know very little about, and which could be the source of novel medicines and materials,” it said.
It also flagged the fact that the pandemic has offered some important lessons learnt on biodiversity.
“About 60 per cent of all infectious diseases known to infect humans, and 75 per cent of emerging infectious diseases, are zoonotic (transmitted from wild or domestic animals to people). A scientific assessment published in July 2020 by UNEP and the International Livestock Research Institute concluded that unless countries take dramatic steps to curb zoonotic contagions, global outbreaks like COVID-19 will inevitably become more common,” the briefing note revealed.
“Zoonotic infectious disease does not only come from the mishandling and consumption of unsafe meat. New research shows that habitat alteration creates ecological niches for generalist species, like bats and rodents, and brings them into closer contact with people. By virtue of their diversity, these species are more likely to be reservoirs of zoonotic pathogens,” it added.