From the smallest parasitic bacterium living in the bladder of a primate to the blue whale - biodiversity refers to the vast variety of life on this planet.
Biodiversity can be felt everywhere – from the food we eat to the medicines we need. Eighty seven of the 115 leading global food crops depend on insect or animal pollination, a contribution to agriculture worth US$200 billion per year. Between 50,000 to 70,000 plant species are harvested for traditional or modern medicine. And biodiversity even helps to keep the effects of climate change at bay as trees and forests remove carbon dioxide and release oxygen into the air we breathe, while cooling the planet.
But, we are currently in the midst of a biodiversity crisis. Last year, the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), found that ‘one million species are threatened with extinction’.
Protecting biodiversity is vital for human health and well-being. So much so that biodiversity is the theme for World Environment Day 2020, hosted by Colombia - one of the world’s “megadiverse” countries, home to nearly ten percent of the planet’s biodiversity – in partnership with Germany.
Colombia - Main Details | Show map |
Biodiversity Facts
Status and trends of biodiversity, including benefits from biodiversity and ecosystem services
Colombia is listed as one of the world’s “megadiverse” countries, hosting close to 10% of the planet’s biodiversity. Worldwide, it ranks first in bird and orchid species diversity and second in plants, butterflies, freshwater fishes and amphibians. With 314 types of ecosystems, Colombia possesses a rich complexity of ecological, climatic, biological and ecosystem components. Colombia was ranked as one of the world’s richest countries in aquatic resources, which is explained in part by the fact that the country’s large watersheds feed into the four massive sub-continental basins of the Amazon, Orinoco, Caribbean, Magdalena-Cauca and the Pacific. The country has several areas of high biological diversity in the Andean ecosystems, characterized by a significant variety of endemic species, followed by the Amazon rainforests and the humid ecosystems in the Chocó biogeographical area. This varied richness represents a significant challenge for implementing sustainable development initiatives. However, a considerable part of these natural ecosystems has been transformed for agriculture, primarily in the Andean and Caribbean regions. It has been estimated that almost 95% of the country’s dry forests have been reduced from their original cover, including close to 70% of typically Andean forests.
The primary terrestrial biomes in Colombia have undergone several changes: 53% of the mainland is still covered with natural forests, which account for more than half of the terrestrial animals and plants, and more than two-thirds of terrestrial net primary production. One of the most threatened forest ecosystems is the dry forest, whose range is around 2% of its original extension. About 2% of the Colombian mainland is covered by moorlands, which are considered one of the most important ecosystems for human well-being because of the source of water they provide to more than three-quarters of the population in these areas. The Amazon and Andean regions have the highest number of plant species, followed by the Pacific, the Caribbean region and the Orinoquía. Colombia’s biodiversity is not only important for the country’s natural heritage and the preservation of unique species in the world, it is also essential for guaranteeing basic conditions for the improvement of human welfare, social equality and economic development today and in the future. Moreover, biodiversity and its functions and processes provide direct-use goods and services, such as food, medicines, fuel, wood and water as well as indirect-use services, such as climate regulation, prevention of disasters, soil formation, water purification and recreation.
The primary terrestrial biomes in Colombia have undergone several changes: 53% of the mainland is still covered with natural forests, which account for more than half of the terrestrial animals and plants, and more than two-thirds of terrestrial net primary production. One of the most threatened forest ecosystems is the dry forest, whose range is around 2% of its original extension. About 2% of the Colombian mainland is covered by moorlands, which are considered one of the most important ecosystems for human well-being because of the source of water they provide to more than three-quarters of the population in these areas. The Amazon and Andean regions have the highest number of plant species, followed by the Pacific, the Caribbean region and the Orinoquía. Colombia’s biodiversity is not only important for the country’s natural heritage and the preservation of unique species in the world, it is also essential for guaranteeing basic conditions for the improvement of human welfare, social equality and economic development today and in the future. Moreover, biodiversity and its functions and processes provide direct-use goods and services, such as food, medicines, fuel, wood and water as well as indirect-use services, such as climate regulation, prevention of disasters, soil formation, water purification and recreation.
Main pressures on and drivers of change to biodiversity (direct and indirect)
The main threats to the conservation of biodiversity include, among others: increasing social inequality; internal armed conflict for more than five decades; reprimarization of the economy; the illegal drug trade; weak access policy and titling; implementation of extensive livestock and agricultural models. Such factors contribute to habitat degradation, changes in land use, increased presence of invasive species, climate change, overconsumption of services and general pollution dynamics. There are intrinsic elements that threaten biodiversity protection in Colombia, some of which include a lack of political priority of environmental issues in national and sectorial policies, undesired effects of macroeconomic policies, conflict with indigenous rights and traditional knowledge, and conflicts due to a lack of coordination regarding land-use planning that takes place at various state levels.
With biodiversity giving us so much, what are some of the causes of nature loss?
Pollution, including from chemicals and waste, is one of the key drivers of global biodiversity loss, found IPBES. Although chemicals are an essential part of our daily life, we can limit the impact on biodiversity through legal frameworks that address the full life cycle of chemicals and waste. The Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM) promotes the development of legal and regulatory frameworks.
Established in 2006, SAICM promotes chemical safety around the world. It works with governments, industry, civil society and the UN system to manage chemicals soundly throughout their life cycle, so that by the year 2020, chemicals are produced and used in ways that minimize adverse impacts on the environment and human health. Colombia for example, recently implemented national laws which improve chemical handling and safety.
“Global policy frameworks like the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals, which work with multiple stakeholders and sectors to promote chemical safety, are among the key tools to protect biodiversity from the harmful impacts of pollution arising from unsound management of chemicals and waste,” says Nalini Sharma, Principal Coordinator for the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management.
When it comes to the impact of specific chemicals on biodiversity, these tend to be more ‘invisible’ because the longer-term impacts of chemical exposure on different species are complex and difficult to study, so remain largely unknown.
But, as the world reconsiders its habits during the current pandemic, here are a few tips on how you can help protect biodiversity from chemicals and waste this World Environment Day.
- Avoid single use plastics and try to limit your consumption and unnecessary wasteMarine plastic pollution has increased tenfold since 1980 affecting at least 267 animal species, including 86 percent of marine turtles, 44 percent of seabirds and 43 percent of marine mammals.
- Properly dispose of chemicals and toxic waste Don’t flush pharmaceuticals or toxic substances, down the drain. Resist throwing toxic materials in the garbage, bring them to appropriate disposal facilities instead. Check out this factsheet from SAICM about the work the Secretariat does on safely managing chemicals.
- Resist using products with harmful chemicals that are toxic to pollinators Continuous use of pesticides can deplete insect and microorganism populations, generating pesticide-resistant pests and adversely affecting predator-prey relationships. Neonicotinoids, which are among the world’s most widely used insecticides, can affect the sperm count of male honeybees and reduce the number of queen bees. Learn more about chemicals in products from the knowledge platform Chemicals without Concern.
- Learn more about the Sustainable Development Goals Target 12.4 which focuses on the sound management of chemicals and waste by 2020, and can help achieve biodiversity related goals of SDG6 Clean Water and Sanitation, SDG14 Life Below Water and SDG15 Life on Land.
For more information about this article please contact saicm.chemicals@un.org.
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