The essay topic is Risk of biodiversity loss. I am writing on the risk attributes of biodiversity loss, which includes the following; the nature of the risk, risk perception and risk culture. Also the political strategy to reduce the risks, and which the local communities will accept. The aim is to examine risk perception of threat to forest biodiversity and to suggest effective policies to conserve the loss. Biodiversity is a term that describe the kinds of livelihood on the earth. It can said to be extent of diversity of life. Biodiversity includes microorganism, plants, animals and ecosystems such as forests, rainforests, coral reefs etc. It is also the resource upon which lineage, settlement, tribe and coming generations depend. Biodiversity is the link between all living creatures on earth, binding each into an interdependent ecosystem, in which all species have the role. Together we all form part of the planet´s ecosystems, which means if there is biodiversity loss, our health and livelihoods are at risk too.
However, the driving risks to biodiversity loss at global scale includes, habitat loss, climate change, invasive alien species, over exploitation, pollution and contamination etc. Habitat loss is one of the top threats to biodiversity. It is openly associated to human induced pressures on land, example is deforestation. Another cause of loss of biodiversity is pollution, nitrogen deposition and acid rain cause irreversible damage to species. Invasive alien species is the second largest of biodiversity loss. When exotic species, that replaces the local and native ones are introduced to the habitat they cause destruction. This is a major cause of extinction, especially on islands and freshwater habitats. Over exploitation is also a cause of loss of biodiversity. This remains a serious threat, the most commonly overexploited species or groups of species are marine fish, trees and animals hunted for meat. Most individual fisheries are either fully or overexploited, and impacts of overwhelming, are coupled to destructive fishing techniques that destroy habitat, as well as associated ecosystems such as estuaries and wetlands. Many of the current concerns with over exploitation of bush meat (wild meat from the forests by local people for income and subsistence). Climate change cause biodiversity loss. Species and populations may be lost permanently, if they are not provided with enough time to adapt to changing climate conditions. As climate becomes more severe, however, the harmful impacts on the ecosystem services overweigh the benefits in most regions of the world. The balance of scientific evidence suggests that will be a significant net harmful impact on ecosystem services worldwide if global mean surface temperature increases more than 2 degree Celsius.
Moreover, on the risk perception, the question that comes up is why biodiversity is a concern? The type of risk perception in this context is Hierarchy (risk are acceptable and nature preserve/tolerant). The indigenous people accepts a particular risk or loss when it occurs, because it can be controlled. Biodiversity is essential for ecosystem services and hence for human well-being. Some of the risk perception include; freedom of choice and action, unavailability of quality water, loss of species, vulnerability etc. These are some problems the local communities are bound to face due to biodiversity loss. Freedom of choice and action refers to individuals having control over what happens and being able to achieve what they value. Loss of biodiversity often means a loss of choices. Local fishers depend on mangroves as breeding grounds of for local fish populations. Loss of mangrove translates to a loss of control over local fish stock and a livelihood they have been pursing for many generations and they value. Vulnerability is another risk perception. Many communities have experienced more natural disasters over the past several decades. This harm is as a result of loss mangroves and coral reefs, which are excellent natural buffers against floods and storms, coastal communities have increasingly suffered from severe floods. Also the continued loss of forests and the destruction of water sheds reduce the quality and availability of water supplied to household use and agriculture. Loss of species is also a serious threat to biodiversity. About 7000 species of plants and several hundred species of animals have been used for human food consumption at one time or another. Some traditional communities currently consume 200 or more species. This is a now a big threat to biodiversity to the people.
In addition, risk culture in the community include; firstly, their behaviour towards taking the risk. That is how much risk the local people feels it can absorb and which risks it is willing to take. Secondly their behaviour towards certain government policies. To what extent people embrace and comply with policy. Thirdly is their behaviour towards negative outcomes. This talk about how the people deal with disprove issue i.e. loss of event or missed opportunities. Many cultures attach spiritual and religious beliefs to ecosystems. In some tribes, tiger heads are slaughtered and use as sacrifices to the gods every year. When the time comes, the people invade the forest and kill tigers. This has always been a norm of the indigenes. It has now damage social relations. The vulnerability has impacted both positively and negatively to the public acceptance.
The benefits of local actors of taking the risk is that it gives them income. The people hunt wild animals such as tigers, lions, monkeys etc. they sell it as bush meat. They also engage in fishing for places that have rivers and seas. It is has being their major source of income. Deforestation which is illegal felling down of trees is also a source of profit. From the trees that are cut down, they get timber which is used in the designing of wooden furniture’s used at homes. But doing this, is a risk to biodiversity and the other way round, the local community are gaining from it.
The local actors has to contribute to the cost of risk prevention. This incentive can be direct payments or indirect payments. Direct payments are often more active, than indirect incentives. For e.g. integrated conservation-development projects, an indirect incentive designed to allow local populations to improve their well-being by capturing international willingness to pay for biodiversity have in practice rarely been integrated into ongoing incentives for conservation. Overall, long-term success for these response strategies depends on the meeting the economic and social needs of communities whose well-being already depends to varying degrees on biodiversity products and the ecosystem services biodiversity supports. However, direct payments have been criticized for requiring ongoing financial commitments to maintain the link between investment and conservation objectives.
The benefits and risks attached to loss of biodiversity are unbalanced and lopsided. So it is unevenly distributed. Biodiversity use, change and loss have improved well-being for many social groups and individuals. But people with low resilience to ecosystem changes are mainly disadvantaged. Having been the biggest losers and witnessed the biggest increase in monetary poverty. Poor people have lost access to biological products and ecosystem services as demand for those services are grown. Coastal habitats are often converted to other uses, frequently for agriculture ponds or cage of highly valued species. Despite the fact the area is still used for food production, local residents are often displaced from their fishing grounds and the fish produced are usually not for local consumption but for export. Coastal residents often no longer have access to cheap protein or source of income.
For this purpose, the political strategy I suggest that will reduce risks of biodiversity to the people are as follows; firstly, emphasis must be made on the provision of solid education on forestry and wildlife for the general public. Basic conservation education should be included into the curriculum of primary and secondary education to ensure information. This must be combined with the use of public enlightment campaigns through the media and other means. Secondly, there should be better control of hunting. Hunting is undertaken as a means of supplement household food consumption, for financial gain through the sale of the animal products or retributive killing. Persecution by humans in response to a problematic co-existence with large carnivores has been the cause of elimination of several species from a large part of their farm, this is true for species such as tiger (Panthera tigris), and lion (Panthera leo). Thirdly, the government should propose new laws to control or to remove non-native species. Non-native species means plants and animals brought into the country either on purpose or by mistake. Most are harmful if they get into the wild, but some can become invasive; causing harm to native species, our health and economy. I believe the indigenous people will not support strict regulations. Because they gain from some of the risks. So any regulation and policy which barred them completely from doing some activities like hunting, fishing and cutting down of trees would be of disadvantage to them.
Finally, biodiversity loss is a global issue. All countries need to work together to prevent the main reasons for biodiversity decline, including illegal hunting, illegal trade, trafficking of wild animals and destruction of habitat. If the political strategies that where mentioned are fully implemented by the local actors. It will help reduce risks. Thus increases the number of wild animals especially tigers which is under the pressure of rural population growth. Because the entire population of the people depends solely on the species for livelihood. My advice is for the communities to stop over exploitation of wild animals. And also the destruction of habitat, through deforestation. The people should as well balance the benefits and risks attached to biodiversity loss, so that it will be evenly distributed.