The coast of Fair Isle, Scotland
Photograph by blickwinkel/Alamy
Biological diversity is natural and hence man need not plant any new flora or rear a new fauna to make a particular area rich in diversity. The deserts of ice or sand do have a rich variety of all the organisms required. Nature is the ultimate authority. Just because the big animals or trees are not visible , we can't say bio diversity is not there.
Apart from the growth of the human population, industries,vehicles, concrete structures and shrinking space for agriculture, the tourism is an important culprit. Unfortunately the countries consider tourism as an industry and many nations literally die for the arrival of tourists. Nothing wrong with these expectations. But the islands of small and big get polluted in various ways and as there is no scope for expanding of land the adaptability of the island dwellers need constant up gradation. They have to live in shrunk spaces and the strain on the land, water and other resources are very heavy.
For these hiccups the world has come out with Eco-tourism and et.al. But these are all paper tigers. Nothing tangible is possible. When millions of tourists visit a glacier or a wild life sanctuary or a river island lot of visible and invisible upheavals do take place. It is better if we come out with a solution for this real issue. There may a certain percentage of people who will be contented with an artificial experience of such places. Science has answer for this. The 3D and the fast growing digital era of sound and visuals may be tried to give the travel mongers an alternative in the near future.
"This year's International Day for Biological Diversity falls in the International Year of Small Island Developing States and is being observed under the theme of "Island Diversity".
For some 600 million island-dwellers - nearly one-tenth of the world's population and representing one in three United Nations Member States - biodiversity is integral to their subsistence, income, well-being and cultural identity.
Half the world's marine resources lie in island waters. Biodiversity-based industries such as tourism and fisheries account for more than half the gross domestic product of small island developing states. Coral reefs alone provide an estimated $375 billion annual return in goods and services. Many island species on land and sea are found nowhere else on Earth. Legacies of a unique evolutionary heritage, they hold the promise of future discoveries - from medicines and foods to biofuels.
Yet, reflecting a global pattern, island biodiversity is being lost at an unprecedented rate in the face of growing risks. Rising sea levels caused by climate change, ocean acidification, invasive alien species, overfishing, pollution and ill-considered development are taking a heavy toll. Many species face the prospect of extinction. People's livelihoods and national economies are suffering.
The process to define a post-2015 development agenda and the Third Conference on Small Island Developing States in Samoa in September of this year both offer opportunities to attend to the unique needs of small island developing states and reverse the global decline in biodiversity. Because of their vulnerability, small island developing states are demonstrating a growing understanding of the links between healthy ecosystems and human well-being. Many have made local, national and regional commitments to conserve and sustainably use biodiversity, including through ratifying important instruments such as the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization. I call upon all countries around the world to follow suit and ratify the Protocol without delay.
Around the world, many innovative partnerships are being forged to preserve marine and coastal resources, enhance resilience to climate change and develop sustainable tourism, fisheries and other industries. On this International Day, let us commit to adopting, adapting and scaling up best practices so we can protect fragile ecosystems for the benefit of all the islanders - and indeed people everywhere -
who depend on them."
Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary General
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