40% of Amphibian Species threatened: IPBES Report

May 8, 2019

According to a study, called Global Assessment about 40% of amphibian species and more than a third (33%) of all marine mammals are threatened.

The report released by Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) was compiled by 145 expert authors from 50 countries and supported by 130 countries (including the U.S., China and Russia). It contained a petition of estimates made after three-year review of about 15,000 scientific papers.

Key Highlights of Report

Up to one million of estimated eight million plant, insect and animal species on earth is at risk of extinction, with many within decades.
Up to 40% of amphibian species and more than a third (33%) of all marine mammals are threatened.
Cause: According to report species face risk because of relentless pursuit of economic growth, twinned with impact of climate change. Industrial farming and fishing are other major drivers of threat. It also shows deep impact of rise of globalised industrial society on earth over past half century (50 years). This loss is direct result of human activity and constitutes a direct threat to human well-being through-out the world.
Recommendations:
- Only a wide-ranging transformation of economic and financial system globally could pull our ecosystems back from brink of collapse.
- It reiterates message by United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, which stressed that profound economic and social changes would be needed to curb greenhouse gases (GHGs) quickly enough to avert most devastating consequences of warming in world.
- It suggests that world may need to embrace a new “post-growth” form of economics if it is to avert existential risks posed by the mutually-reinforcing
Way Forward: The findings of Global Assessment will add pressure on countries to come out with a bold action plan to protect wildlife at 15th session of Conference of the Parties to the Conference on Biodiversity (CBD), taking place in China in October 2020.

About IPBES

It was founded by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) on 21 April 2012.
It is headquartered in Bonn, Germany.
It is a global scientific body similar in composition and functioning of IPCC.
Function: It is an intergovernmental body established by UN to assess state of planet’s biodiversity and of ecosystem services it provides to society, in response to requests from decision makers.
Members: At present over 130 governments are its member States. India is its founding member.