Human civilisation having devastating effect on wildlife, report reveals

World Wildlife Fund report predicts that global wildlife levels are on course to be one third of what they were in 1970.

Amphibians such as the Arabian toad, above, remain under threat from mankind’s inexorable expansion. Silvia Razgova / The National

ABU DHABI // Growing human populations could result in global wildlife diversity in 2020 being reduced to a third of the level it was at in 1970, according to a new report by the World Wildlife Fund.

The findings, revealed in Living Planet Report, herald the beginning of a new era, the Athropocene Era, marking the first time in history wherein human activity is the dominant influence on the Earth, surpassing that of natural order.

Severe habitat and species loss in the UAE and the region would create an increasingly inhospitable environment for human beings, and result in the loss of livelihood for several industries.

The report features research from the Global Footprint Network that shows humanity using the resources of 1.6 planet Earths to provide the goods and services we use each year.

According to the report, global fish, bird, mammal, amphibian and reptile populations have already declined by 58 per cent between 1970 and 2012, the most recent year with available data.

This places the world on a trajectory of a potential two-thirds decline within a span of the half century ending in 2020. At the same time, it outlines what can be done to avoid the devastation, with indications that the UAE is on the right line.

“The UAE has a biodiversity action plan that addresses the issues outlined in the report but it is very important that the UAE actually goes ahead with implementation,” said Paola Ferreira, conservation and climate director at Emirates Wildlife Society.

“Implementation will require that many things change, including development, lifestyle choices we make, the way we have fun and the way we eat – it all needs to be guided with consideration for the environment,” she said.

Marco Lambertini, director general of WWF International, said: “Wildlife is disappearing at an unprecedented rate. This is not just about the wonderful species we all love; biodiversity forms the foundation of healthy forests, rivers and oceans.”

According to Mr Lambertini, the destruction of these habitats is the precursor to the displacement of millions of the world’s people because so many rely on natural resources for their livelihood, food and health.

In the UAE, the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment has said that the loss of marine life could lead to displacement of people whose lives depend on the ocean, such as fishermen.

“We depend on nature in so many ways – the air we breathe, the water we drink, the materials and our economy. Because of the huge human development that has occurred our nature is at risk,” Ms Ferreira said.

The strain put on the environment by increasing human populations requires almost another Earth to recover from the destruction caused by human-led habitat and species loss.

The WWF recommends dietary habits shift towards consuming less animal protein, a change ill-suited for the region.

“It would be difficult to ask the region to become vegetarian,” said Ahmed Al Hashimi, director of biological diversity at the ministry. “The UN said that if you want to deliver a message to your community, it needs to be part of their culture, so we need to identify what from our culture and tradition is good for biodiversity.”

But, he said, the environment had to influence every decision of our lifestyle and that change could be brought about in ways that would not necessarily burden people.

“Many of these steps have been announced by the ministries as a very tangible way of addressing – as the UAE is a signatory to the convention of biological diversity – COP22 and the resulting changes from that,” Ms Ferreira said. “We look forward to further working with all parties to develop towards a more sustainable and habitable future.”