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PRESS RELEASE                                                            FOR REFERENCE
                                                                                         ALFREDO S. ARAYA
                                                                                         Chief, Regional Public Affairs Office
                                                                                         Telefax: 4820857
                                                                                         Email: araya_rpao5denr@yahoo.com

Biological Diversity Conservation is a Global Concern

The United Nations General Assembly has declared 2010 as the International Year of Biodiversity. It's goal is to raise public awareness of the importance of biodiversity and the consequences of its loss. This is also an opportunity to celebrate successes in achieving a significant reduction in the rate of biodiversity losses by 2010, the target set by countries that are signatories to the Convention on Biodiversity.

Rodrigo U. Fuentes, Executive Director of ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity said that "Biodiversity encompasses all life on Earth from the smallest insects to the biggest whale. Biodiversity is the web of life that includes the full range of ecosystems, species living within such ecosystems, and the genetic variety of those species produced by Nature or shape by humans."

Biodiversity is our support systems that sustain our life and provide the material and economic resources for our daily needs. It constitute an ecological mechanism from which we derive from Nature that which makes life possible such as supply of fresh water, presence of oxygen and other substances, fertile soil that makes production for crops possible, a wholesome climate that makes living comfortable, among others.

Director Fuentes puts it in another words, "The natural world is not just the collection of magnificent and wonderful species. We depend on the vast biodiversity around us to supply our daily needs. We depend on basic products provided by Nature such as water, food, medicine, shelter, clothing, products of business and industries, and a host of ecosystem services that protect us from climate change and other harsh environmental conditions."

The loss of biodiversity is one of the greatest threats that humans face today. In Southeast Asia, over 1000 out of the 64,800 known species of plants, mammals and marine life forms are endangered. The world is losing its biodiversity at unprecedented rates due to deforestation, large-scale mining, massive wildlife hunting, pollution, other irresponsible human activities and global warming. Climate experts projected that global warming alone could vanish one million species of life forms in our planet in the near future.

It is the area of food security, perhaps more than any other, that biodiversity's value is most clear. Nature provides the plant and animal resources for production and agricultural productivity. When biodiversity is destroyed, the source of food is likewise destroyed. The Food and Agriculture Organization reported that out of more than 10,000 different plant species used for food by humans over the millennia, barely 150 species remain under cultivation. Of these, only 12 species provide 80 percent of the world food needs and only four-rice, wheat, corn and potatoes- provide more than half of human's energy requirements.

Health is another area where the natural benefits of a healthy biodiversity are most obvious. The natural world holds the key to many medicinal resources and pharmaceutical drugs. If the world continues to lose around 13 million hectares of its forest cover every year, it would be difficult to develop better kinds of medicine to cure both existing and emerging illnesses. About 80 percent of the world's known diversity, many of which have medicinal value, could be found in forests.

Apart from providing people with medicine, Nature also offers a wide range of ecosystem services such as contribution to climate stability, maintenance of ecosystems, soil formation and protection, and pollution breakdown and absorption. Biodiversity is also a source of livelihood to millions as the economy of many communities is driven by the use of species in industries such as biotechnology, forestry, agriculture and fisheries. Moreover, biodiversity provides social benefits including recreation and tourism, as well as cultural and aesthetic values.

Biodiversity provides clean water, fertile soil, flood protection, food and medicines and livelihoods for people around the world.

The loss of biodiversity is beyond losing plants and animals. It is clearly an issue of human survival. There is an urgent need to conserve biodiversity globally and in the ASEAN region where 500 million Asians, and 90 million Filipinos depend on biodiversity for food, medicines, clothing, livelihood and shelter.

Regional Executive Director Joselin Marcus E. Fragada of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said the DENR has lined-up various activities in support to the International Year of Biodiversity with the theme- "Biodiversity is Life, Biodiversity is our Life."

Among the activities are Orientation Seminar on Biodiversity Monitoring System and Mangrove Rehabilitation in Masbate (March 22-26, 2010); World Water Day Celebration. Theme- Tubig ay Buhay: Wastong Paggamit Kailangang Tunay'; Philippine Water Week (March 22-26, 2010); Earth Hour, a worldwide campaign enjoining everyone to "Switch Off the Lights" from 8:30 PM to 9:30 PM

(March 27, 2010); 10th National Caving Congress at Davao del Norte. Theme: "Philippine Speleogical Society: A Decade of Pursuit Towards Responsible Caving" (April 6-10, 2010); Cave Assessment of Luyang Cave, at San Andres Catanduanes (April 6-10, 2010); and 19th Annual Philippine Biodiversity Symposium. Theme- "Changing Biodiversity in a Changing World, Changing Philippines" (April 12-15, 2010).

Fragada urges everyone to conserve biodiversity, by protecting biodiversity resources in their locality.-Arthur M. Contreras

 

  Albay