UN SECRETARY GENERAL ISSUES MESSAGE ON THE INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR BIODIVERSITY
Un Secretary-General has issued a message concerning the International day for Biological Diversity, which is marked on May 22. The message says: “The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, a four-year undertaking by more than 1,300 scientists, provides clear evidence of the damage being done to our world: Earth’s environment has changed tremendously in the last half century. The findings point to the need for decisive action to protect our planet.This year’s observance, “Protect Biodiversity in Drylands”, highlights an area in particular need of urgent attention. The degradation of drylands-which constitute 40 per cent of the planet’s land surface-is having dramatic effects: some 2,300 species endangered or facing extinction, significant losses in agricultural output, and an economic cost estimated at more than forty-two billion dollars a year”. Message highlights these consequences because they are borne disproportionately by the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people
UN Secretary General calls for a need to reverse desertification, a process which not only exacerbates poverty but is also partly caused by it. This year’s biodiversity commemoration coincides with the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. “These two complementary observances illustrate the strong links between environmental issues, and highlight the need for a comprehensive and global approach to address these concerns”, message says.
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