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Biodiversity’s Critical Role Against Climate Change

Updated: Apr 15

Written By: Aarna Verma & Audrey Kim



Introduction

The article explores how biodiversity loss contributes to the detrimental effects on climate change. Biodiversity is the foundation of all life on Earth, providing the stability, sustenance, and benefits that all ecosystems and people depend on. The diverse range of species, genetic diversity, and ecosystems that make up biodiversity provide an ecosystem that humans depend on, for survival. For instance, this includes food, climate patterns, clean air and water, and genetic resources that are essential to agriculture and medicine.


How Climate Change Impacts Biodiversity

Biodiversity is drastically decreasing due to human-caused climate change, which is negatively changing water resources, land, and animal ecosystems worldwide. Increased temperatures lead to habitat loss and cause disorder in the environment, which forces species to move and search for favorable circumstances to live in. For example, heightened temperatures have caused irreversible damage to marine and coastal ecosystems. Coral reefs have diminished by almost 50% over the past 150 years, which greatly threatens the survival of reefs. The likelihood of additional species going extinct increases as a result of these disturbances, altering ecological dynamics and biodiversity patterns. Additionally, climate change intensifies biodiversity issues and weakens ecosystems, increasing the spread of illnesses that impact humans and other species.


The Role of Biodiversity in Climate Change Mitigation

The diversity of life on Earth is a powerful against global warming. Natural carbon sinks, such as wetlands, forests, and ocean ecosystems, are able to absorb significant amounts of greenhouse gases. By reducing its effects and helping to protect the ecosystem, preserving and repairing these environments provide a natural response to climate change. For example, forests are valuable due to their carbon storing abilities, which reduces the greenhouse effect. Similarly, wetlands such as peatlands effectively sequester carbon dioxide, reducing its atmospheric release. The preservation and restoration of natural habitats, both on land and in water, help reduce carbon emissions and mitigate climate change overall.


UN Efforts to Address Climate Change and Biodiversity Loss

Climate change is a global catastrophe that should be looked upon seriously - and the UN is actively doing so. Two different international agreements established at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and the UN Convention on Biological Diversity(CBD), each work to combat the threat of climate change. 

The primary objective of the UNFCCC is to sustain the atmospheric amount of greenhouse gasses at a level where it isn’t considered dangerous enough to have anthropogenic, or human induced, effects on the environment. The first step towards this goal was to have industrialized nations, also known as Annex I countries, agree to support climate change activities in developing nations by offering them financial aid with actions regarding climate change, not including the financial support that they may already be giving to these countries. The UN keeps track of the annual inventory of the greenhouse gas emissions of industrialized countries, and these nations must also regularly report their climate change policies and measures. Developing countries also report their climate change actions to the UN, but at a lower frequency and in broader terms.

Like the UNFCCC, the CBD also works on preserving the world’s climate. While the former convention’s main objective is to limit greenhouse gas emissions, the latter convention aims to conserve biodiversity such as ecosystems, species, and genetic resources. Ratified by 196 nations, this convention covers biodiversity at all levels, including biotechnology, education, agriculture, and so much more. The CBD's governing body, the Conference of the Parties (COP), comprises all parties that have ratified the treaty, and they meet every two years to discuss progress, priorities, and plans.


Conclusion

Climate change will always be a threat to Earth’s biodiversity, but the world is actively striving to combat this phenomenon. Though some biodiversity has been lost due to climate change, such as coral reefs, humans are making a collaborative effort to preserve Earth’s remaining biodiversity and prevent the loss of any more. Biodiversity itself also fights against the effects of climate change, seen with how ecosystems such as forests are able to absorb greenhouse gasses to prevent them from entering the atmosphere. Although it’s tempting to take a pessimistic stance towards the future of the world, not all hope is lost, as both humans and nature alike are vigorously engaging in countering climate change.   


Reference

United Nations. "Biodiversity and Climate Change." United Nations, www.un.org/en/climatechange/science/climate-issues/biodiversity. Accessed 9 April 2024. 

United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. "What is the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change?" UNFCCC, Accessed 9 April 2024, https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/what-is-the-united-nations-framework-convention-on-climate-change.

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