A new report by World Wide Fund for Nature WWF, Living Planet Report 2016 , has revealed
that about two thirds of wildlife globally could decline by 2020, within 50
years.
According to the report from 1970-2012 there was a
58 per cent decline in vertebrate population sizes.
WWF has attributed this to unsustainable use of
natural resources by humans.
“Scientific evidence shows that we are surpassing
the boundaries of what the planet can cope with. There also has been evidence
of wasteful use of natural resources,” said Fred Kwame Africa Regional
Director, WWF Africa during the release of the report in Kenya.
Excessive exploitation of forests and water bodies
can adversely affect the natural habitat of wild animals and marine life.
Pollution on the other hand affects the well-being
of bio diversity on the planet.
Living Planet
Report 2016
states that increased human pressure threatens the natural resources that human
depends upon, increasing the risk of water and food insecurity and competition
over natural resources.
Sustainable
consumption
Speaking in Nairobi, Kwame called for wise
consumption in order to ensure a balance of the ecosystem.
“This is crosscutting at every level; at the
individual, corporate, and individual level. Our lifestyles need to change.
What we consume matters. What you wear what you eat has to be produced by
someone. What you drive has to be fuelled. And all that adds up when it comes
to environment conservation. The little choices we make at an individual level
can make a difference,” he advised.
Kwame added that in the corporate world consumption should
be managed where wastes and loss are better handled.
Kwame reiterated that such decisions looked simple
but they always contribute in creating a balance for the world.
“If we produce better, if we consume better, and we
preserve the natural capital that we have, we will reap the dividends. We will
have a world where the ecosystem is intact and continues to provide
environmental services to all us,” he remarked.
“We will have a world where food, water and energy
security will be sustained as all these things are interlinked. We only have
one world and we should stand up and speak up because this is an issue that
concerns all of us.”
The report also shows that food production systems
are putting major pressure on the ecosystem.
“We need to shift to agricultural methods that focus
on yield optimization,” said Jared Bosire, Conservation Director for WWF,
during the launch of Living Planet Report
2016.
Sustainable Development Goal SDG 12 calls for
sustainable consumption and production patterns.
Development as
expense of environment conservation
Meanwhile WWF has explained importance of
development projects adding that they should not be at the cost disturbing the
ecosystem.
“The Standard Gauge Railway SGR should not pass
through the Nairobi National Park as it interferes with the wildlife’s way of
life. This affects wildlife corridors making it difficult for animals to move
freely. This might cause animals to trespass into human settlements and this is
dangerous,” Bosire remarked.
Bosire suggested
that although costly, the government could opt for an alternative route for the
SGR.
“Kenya has
a treasure that no other country possesses; a national park within a capital
city. Nature can be unforgiving. Building a railway line inside Nairobi
National Park could cause environmental degradation,” concluded Kwame.
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