UPSC » UPSC CSE Study Materials » General Awareness » Biodiversity Conservation and climate change Mitigation

Biodiversity Conservation and climate change Mitigation

Biodiversity conservation is seen as a critical component of natural resource management. Biodiversity is a broad term that refers to the extent to which ecological diversity exists. Biodiversity is the enormous range of life connected with various types of biodiversity frameworks. Habitat fragmentation, taxing already stressed natural resources, deforestation, annexation of exotic species, and climate change are among the biodiversity warnings (Khan et al., 2019 (a,b). 

Preventive ecosystem conservation has become a crucial component of NRM as environmentalists and the general public have grown more aware of these concerns. Facts are used to make decisions, resulting in high-quality evidence, the restriction of specific actions, and knowledge and control standards. Before developing a safety-measure policy, numerical evidence is essential. If such acts are prohibited,In fisheries, biodiversity conservation is almost never an official management goal. (In fact, we could scarcely have gone about exterminating the fish any differently than we have gone about fishing.) Because of the extensive, nonrandom fishing mortality, 

Define Climate change Mitigation

To date, nations have pursued separate programmes for environmental preservation and climate change mitigation and adaptation. Both endeavours fell short of the magnitude of action required to stop biodiversity loss and ameliorate climate change.While there are strong synergies between the objectives of biodiversity protection and carbon capture, if conservation and climate change mitigation priorities are misaligned, one might easily undercut the other.The advantages and costs of nature-based solutions to climate change mitigation and adaptation have exploded in the last decade, and most of it admits that there are trade-offs across outcomes. 

Habitats that store the most carbon, are greatest for flood control, or are best for pollution mitigation, for example, are not necessarily the most diverse, complete, or natural. As a result, a single-minded pursuit of a particular goal, such as carbon storage or reduced emissions, is common.

Natural or restored habitats serve important functions in climate change mitigation and societal adaptation. Wetlands, peat bogs, and rainforests, for example, are often large carbon sinks, whereas intact.

What is Environment Protection?

In industrialised countries, voluntary environmental agreements frequently serve as a platform for enterprises to be recognised for going above and beyond minimal legislative requirements, thereby promoting the development of best environmental practises. Environment Improvement Trust (EIT), for example, has been fighting for environmental and forest protection in India since 1998. These agreements are more typically employed in underdeveloped nations, such as Latin America, to address substantial levels of non-compliance with statutory regulations.

Many of the world’s resources are particularly fragile because they are influenced by human activities in multiple countries. 

As a result, several countries are attempting to construct agreements that are signed by many governments in order to prevent or manage damage to natural resources caused by human activities. This can involve agreements affecting climate, oceans, rivers, and air pollution, among other things. These international environmental accords are sometimes legally binding papers with legal consequences if they are broken, and other times they are more like agreements in concept or codes of behaviour. These agreements have a lengthy history, with several multinational.

Define Ecology, Biodiversity

Biodiversity is a generic indicator of overall ecological health and is defined as the diversity of life in a given area. Genetic, species, community, and environmental diversity are all examples of biodiversity. Information measurements like the Shannon-Weaver or Simpson’s indices, as well as species richness and evenness measures, all get at the same idea. Biodiversity measures are useful for analysing the overall productivity and integrity of ecosystems’ linked biotic and abiotic components. 

The loss of biodiversity on the North American prairie in the 19th century was severe as pioneers blasted through the prairie sod and replaced the extremely diversified tallgrass ecosystem with row crops. The number of insects, birds, and other consumers who relied on plants decreased as the number of plant species reduced.Ecological land management methods are made up of a set of prescribed treatments that are applied over time and space to achieve certain goals. It is possible to utilise a combination of classic and new procedures. Using the same management strategy on the same piece of land favours species that can withstand the disturbance at the expense of others, which may not deliver the desired results.

International efforts

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) (year of entry into force: 1993), the Convention on Migratory Species, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (IPPC) are all international conventions that deal with biodiversity issues (1946).Conventions on biodiversity aim to put policies in place at the national, regional, and international levels in order to achieve common conservation and sustainable use goals. The conventions have created a number of complementary methodologies (site, species, genetic resources, and/or ecosystem-based) and operational tools (e.g., work plans, trade agreements) to achieve their goals.

Conclusion

Habitat fragmentation, taxing already stressed natural resources, deforestation, annexation of exotic species, and climate change are among the biodiversity warnings. Habitat fragmentation, taxing already stressed natural resources, deforestation, annexation of exotic species, and climate change are among the biodiversity warnings. Both endeavours fell short of the magnitude of action required to stop biodiversity loss and ameliorate climate change. While there are strong synergies between the objectives of biodiversity protection and carbon capture, if conservation and climate change mitigation priorities are misaligned, one might easily undercut the other. The advantages and costs of nature-based solutions to climate change mitigation and adaptation have exploded in the last decade, and most of it admits that there are trade-offs across outcomes.

faq

Frequently asked questions

Get answers to the most common queries related to the UPSC Examination Preparation.

What are the international efforts for biodiversity conservation?

Answer. Several international conventions address biodiversity issues, including the Convention on Biological Divers...Read full

What international efforts are being made to combat climate change?

Answer. The 1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change is the primary framework for international climate change...Read full

What role will biodiversity conservation play in mitigating the effects of climate change?

Answer. Healthy ecosystems must be at the heart of any adaptation policy because they can help mitigate the effects ...Read full

What are the international initiatives for climate change mitigation?

Answer. The European Union Emission Trading Scheme, the Western Climate Initiative, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Init...Read full

How can international organisations aid in the fight against climate change?

Answer. Some of the actions that these organisations are taking to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions include the...Read full