Biodiversity loss

Two reports released ahead of the United Nations (UN) Summit on Biodiversity, scheduled for Wednesday, reveal that global biodiversity and natural resources are in much worse shape than presumed. At the same time, the remedial action is inadequate and half-hearted. The bottom line is that more resources are being consumed or splurged than the earth can regenerate. This amounts virtually to chipping away at the foundation of economy, livelihood, food security, and public health. A planet about 1.56 times the size of the earth is needed to maintain the current level of human enterprise. Business-as-usual may, therefore, jeopardise sustainable development and heighten the risk of natural disasters like climate change and attendant extreme weather events, wild fires, water stress, and