国际生物多样性日 国际生物多样性日

生物多样性公约秘书处非常高兴地宣布：2007年5月22日，即国际生物多样性日关注的焦点将是“生物多样性与气候变化”。

TheSecretariatoftheConventiononBiologicalDiversityispleasedtoannouncethefocusofthe2007InternationalDayforBiologicalDiversity(IBD),22May,willbeon:

BiodiversityandClimateChange

Thiscomplementsthedesignationof2007astheInternationalPolarYearandcoincideswithUNEP’SWorldEnvironmentDaythemeofClimateChange.Lectures,seminars,filmpresentations,culturalevents,exhibitionsandschooloutreachactivitiesarejustsomesuggestionsthatyoumaywishtoimplementtohelpdrawattentiontooneofthemostcriticalissuesfacingourplanettoday.

FacingClimateChange

Sincethemid-1800sglobaltemperatureshaveincreasedbyabout0.6°C,impactingtheentireworld,fromlow-lyingislandsinthetropicstothevastPolarRegions.DuringthelastCentury:

1.thelargestglacieronMountKenyahaslost92%ofitsmass,

2.sealevelshaverisenby10-25cm,and

3.thethicknessofseaiceinthearctichasdecreasedby40%.

Currentclimatechangepredictionsarenotencouraging;theyestimatefurtherincreasesintemperaturesof1.4°Cto5.8°Cby2100.

Predictedimpactsfromatemperatureincreaseofonly2.5°Cinclude:

1.210millionmorepeopleatriskfrommalaria,

2.upto3.1billionmorepeoplesufferingfromwaterscarcity,and

3.50millionmorepeoplefacinghunger.

Evenifallhumansourcesofgreenhousegasemissionsarestoppedimmediately,theimpactsofclimatechangewouldcontinuefor50years.

TheNewGreatThreattoBiodiversity

Climatechangeisalreadyforcingbiodiversitytoadapteitherthroughshiftinghabitat,changinglifecycles,orthedevelopmentofnewphysicaltraits.Impactsalreadyobservedinclude:

1.Coralbleaching,causedbyincreasedseatemperatures,iscausingdie-offsamongstcoralreefcommunitiesfromAustraliatotheCaribbean.

2.TheCommonMurrehasadvancedbreedingby24daysperdecadeoverthepast50yearsinresponsetohighertemperatures.

3.TheBaltimoreorioleisshiftingnorthwardandmaysoondisappearentirelyfromtheBaltimorearea.

4.Polarbearpopulationsarecomingunderthreatasfoodbecomeshardertohunt.

Otherspecieswillfacemoreunusualchallenges.Thesexofseaturtlehatchlings,forexample,istemperaturedependentwithwarmertemperaturesincreasingthenumberoffemaleseaturtlesattheexpenseofmales.

Thosespeciesthatareunabletoadaptarefacingextinction.Infact,predictionsestimatethatupto1millionspeciesmaybecomeextinctasaresultofclimatechangeincludingBoyd’sforestdragonandBrazil’sVirolasebiferatree.

TherecentlyextinctGoldenToadandGastricBroodingFroghavealreadybeenlabeledasthefirstvictimsofclimatechange.

TheBiodiversitySafetyNet

Thelinksbetweenbiodiversityandclimatechangerunbothways:biodiversityisthreatenedbyhuman-inducedclimatechangebut,biodiversityresourcescanreducetheimpactsofclimatechangeonpeopleandproduction:

1.theconservationofhabitatscanreducetheamountofCO2releasedintotheatmosphere.Currentlydeforestationisestimatedtoberesponsiblefor20%ofhuman-inducedCO2emissions,

2.conservingcertainspeciessuchasmangrovesanddroughtresistantcropscanreducethedisastrousimpactsofclimatechangeeffectssuchasfloodingandfamine,and

3.theconservationandsustainableuseofbiodiversitycanstrengthenecosystemresilience,improvingtheabilityofecosystemstoprovidecriticalservicesinthefaceofincreasingclimaticpressures.

Usingbiodiversityresourcestomitigateoradapttoclimatechangeisofparticularimportancetovulnerablepopulationssuchaspeoplelivinginlow-lyingareasordevelopingcountriesandindigenouscommunities.

RespondingActions

Giventheimportanceofclimatechange-biodiversitylinks,itisimportantto:

1.conservebiodiversitythatisespeciallysensitivetoclimatechange,

2.preservehabitatssoastofacilitatethelong-termadaptationofbiodiversity,

3.improveourunderstandingofclimatechange–biodiversitylinkages,and

4.fullyintegratebiodiversityconsiderationsintomitigationandadaptationplans.

22May2007–ClimateChangeandBiodiversityHaveTheirDay

Climatechangetouchesthelivesofpeopleandbiodiversityineverycountry.