The Hindu Business Line : `Protect world ecosystems or perish'

A LANDMARK study on the rapid change in ecosystems and its consequences on the world's support systems and services, including business and industry, has been released at the World Bank headquarters here.

The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA), put together over four years by 1,300 experts from 95 countries, reveals that about 60 per cent of the ecosystems that support life on earth are being degraded or used unsustainably.

What is worse, according to Robert Watson, Chief Scientist of the Bank and co-chair of the MA board, is that "the harmful consequences of this degradation could grow significantly worse in the next 50 years."

He said: "Over the past 50 years, humans have changed ecosystems more rapidly and extensively than in any other period of time in human history, largely to meet rapidly growing demands for food, fresh water, timber, fibre and fuel, resulting in a substantial and largely irreversible loss in the diversity of life on earth."

At a press conference prior to the launch of the report, members of the MA board said the changes made to the ecosystems had contributed "to substantial net gains in human well-being and economic development, but these gains have been achieved at the cost of degradation of many ecosystem services, increased risk of non-linear changes, and the exacerbation of poverty for some groups of people."

Present indications are that the degradation of ecosystems would only get worse in the first 50 years of this century and would stand in the way of achieving Millennium Development Goals. In the "summary for decision makers," the MA board points out that the challenges of reversing the degradation of ecosystem while meeting increasing demands for services can be partially met but only through significant changes in government policies and practices. "Many options exist to conserve or enhance specific ecosystem services to reduce negative trade-offs," but the challenge was to put them in place.

The document expresses concern that despite the production of more food and increased use of some ecosystem services, "levels of poverty remain high, inequities are growing." For instance, example, over the past decade, "a child born in sub-Saharan Africa is 20 times more likely to die before age 5 than a child born in an industrialised country."

Jane Lubchenco, co-chair of the MA Board, said the MA report estimates that environmental degradation will have major implications on business and industry. Over the next few decades, the cost of doing business will increase and the framework conditions under which business is done will change. "In the future, a whole lot of services that we now take for granted will either cease or turn costly."

She added: "Many new business opportunities will emerge in terms of technology and innovations. There will be new opportunities for eco, agro and cultural tourism, recycling and life cycling. The businesses that plan and incorporate eco aspects in their businesses were bound to benefit by becoming market leaders."

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