World 'has failed' on biodiversity
A new study has shown that world leaders have failed to halt biodiversity loss across the globe.
According to a group of scientists lead by Stuart Butchart, from the UN's World Conservation Monitoring Centre and Birdlife International, targets to reduce the rate of loss set by global leaders in 2002 have not been met.
In 2002, many world leaders pledged to significantly lower the rate of biodiversity loss in their countries under the Convention for Biological Diversity.
As well as not showing an improvement, the research actually flagged up rises in some decline, said the scientists.
"There have been declines in ... population trends of vertebrates and habitat specialist birds, shorebird populations worldwide, [the] extent of forestmangroves, seagrass beds and the condition of coral reefs," said Mr Butchart.
The declines were blamed on factors including over-harvesting, fishing and climate change.
Climate change has been shown to be one of the biggest causes of loss of biodiversity, as changes in habitat linked to global warming can lead to species dying out.
Written by Kimberley Homer.
© Copyright
Bookmark this page:
