Biodiversity and sustainable development UPSC | Environmental Geography | Physical geography

What is biodiversity?

On earth variety of ecosystems such as deserts, tundra, taiga, oceans, grassland, rainforest, savannas, coral reef, etc do exist. Within the ecosystem, a variety of life forms of plants, animals, and microorganisms do exist. Biological diversity ( variety of ecosystems and the variety of life forms within the ecosystem) is commonly known as biodiversity.

Why biodiversity is important?

• As per the various report, 40 % of the world's economy and 80 % of the needs of the poor are dependent on biodiversity.
• Higher the biological diversity, higher the opportunity for medical discoveries, resilience to climate change, economic opportunities, boost in productivity.
• Greater biodiversity ensure natural sustainability for all life.
• Higher biodiversity also ensures recovery from environmental degradation.
• Most of the poor and tribal needs are also fulfilled by biodiversity.

"International Year of Biodiversity" was observed by United Nations in 2010 to spread awareness about reducing biodiversity loss.

Global Risk report 2021 has been published by World Economic Forum.

the following are five major risks of the world:

• Extreme Weather
• Climate Action Failure
• Human environment damage
• Infection disease ( highest risk)
• Biodiversity loss

Natural Habitat destruction:

• Led by mining and infrastructure development
• Unrestrained consumptions

Services of biodiversity:

services of biodiversity

The following are the services that we are getting free of cost from biodiversity.

• Eco services:
• Soil formation and protection
• Nutrients recycling
• Pollution absorption and breaking the large pollutant into smaller forms.
• Recovery of eco losses such as forest fire.
• Protection of water resources Social services:
• Many cultural values are derived from nature
• Provide tourism
• Research and education opportunity
• Many festivals are linked with nature
•  Economic services:
• Food, water, pure air, soil, wood, energy, all are derived from biodiversity.
• Medical resources
• Ornamental
• Future resources that are not discovered yet.

Types of biodiversity:

There are three types of biodiversity:

• Genetic diversity: 
• refers to genetic variation within species. For example, India itself has more than 50 thousand genetically different rice species and 1000 genetically different varieties of mano species.
• Species diversity: 
• it refers to a number of plant and organism diversity, for example, Himalayan have higher species diversity than northern plains.
• Ecological diversity: 
• it refers to a variety of habitats, communities. India is a land of ecological diversity because India has deserts, glaciers, plains, forests, rainforest, coral reefs, estuaries, wetlands, rivers, etc.

Biodiversity hot spots:

There are two criteria of the biological hot spot:

•  It must consist of 1500 species of endemic vascular plants or it must contain at least 0.5% of the total species in the hot spot area
•  It must be lost at least 70 % of its primary vegetation.

There are 34 biodiversity hotspots identified on the earth's surface.
India has 4 biodiversity hotspot out of 34 global biodiversity hotspot

• Western Ghats
• Eastern Himalayan
• Indo-Burma
• Sunda Land

Sustainable development

Technology and institution have helped to increase human-environment interaction.
Development is a multidimensional concept and signifies the positive, irreversible, transformation of the economy, society, and environment.
Sustainable development emerged after awareness about environmental losses in 1960 and the emergence of the theory of the limit of growth by Meadows.
Growing concerns about environmental issues, the UN established a "World Commission on Environment Development (WCED)",  which gave "Brundtland report" or  "Our common future " in 1987.

Brundtland Report defined sustainable development as  " development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generation to meet their own needs".
Sustainable development cares about Ecological, Social, and economic aspects.

Strategies for sustainable development:

• Use of non-conventional sources of energy such as solar and wind energy.
• Use of  LPG, Gobar Gas in rural areas.
• Use of CNG in urban areas.
• Use of Mini-hydel plants.
• Use of traditional knowledge and practice such as bio composting and Bio-pest in agriculture and cleanliness.

 

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