This is a challenge. Hunger, poverty and the continued decline in biodiversity are linked societal challenges. On our current trajectory, biodiversity, and the services it provides, will continue to decline, jeopardizing the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, due to the increasing impacts of land- and sea-use change, overexploitation of resources, climate change, pollution and invasive species — all pressures driven by unsustainable patterns of production and consumption. The projected decline in biodiversity will affect all people, but especially indigenous and local communities, and the world’s poor and vulnerable, as they rely on biodiversity for their livelihoods. However, it is not too late to change path. We need a portfolio of actions to address all drivers of biodiversity decline, at all levels, using context-specific approaches; urgent transformations are needed in the production of goods and services, especially food, provision of fresh water, energy and products from forestry. This requires a significant shift away from business-as-usual and a focus on synergies. There is no single pathway ahead but many alternative approaches reflecting local conditions and priorities — flexibility is crucial to tailor measures to national realities and circumstances.
Source: Ecology - nature.com
