Interconnected action needed to solve biodiversity, climate challenges: Report

New Delhi, Dec 17 (PTI) Interconnected global crises like biodiversity loss, water and food insecurity, health risks, and climate change are worsening because of human activity, and tackling one issue without considering its impact on others can cause more harm than good, according to a new report.

Authored by 165 scientists from 57 countries over three years, the Nexus Report by the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) is one of the most comprehensive studies ever done on the links between biodiversity, water, food, health, and climate change.

It urges decision-makers to take a more integrated approach to solving these challenges.

The IPBES released the summary of the report for policymakers on Monday, and the full seven-chapter report will be published in 2025. The report says separate efforts to solve these issues -- such as focusing only on health or food production -- are often ineffective.

For example, treating a disease like schistosomiasis (a water-borne illness) with medication alone doesn't solve the root problem.

However, an innovative project in Senegal showed that cleaning polluted water and removing invasive plants reduced infection rates and also improved freshwater access and livelihoods for local communities, according to Paula Harrison, co-chair of the IPBES assessment on interlinkages among biodiversity, water, food, health, and climate change.

The report warns that biodiversity is declining at an alarming rate, causing serious harm to food security, water quality, human health, and the planet’s ability to cope with climate change.

It says that human actions -- like deforestation, overconsumption, pollution, and climate change -- are driving this decline. These problems are made worse by indirect drivers such as economic priorities, trade, and population growth.

For instance, while global economic activity depends heavily on nature (worth USD 50 trillion annually), damaging it adds hidden costs of up to USD 25 trillion per year.

The report also highlights the unequal impacts of these crises.

Developing countries, small island nations, Indigenous Peoples, and poorer communities are hit the hardest.

For example, more than 50 per cent of the global population lives in areas severely affected by biodiversity loss, water shortages, or malnutrition. Vulnerable groups, including communities in wealthier countries, face the highest health and climate risks.

The report emphasises the importance of including these communities in solutions to ensure fairness and equity.

The Nexus Report suggests more than 70 response options to address these interconnected problems. Solutions like restoring ecosystems, promoting sustainable diets, improving water management, and reducing pollution can provide benefits across multiple areas.

For example, protecting mangroves not only supports biodiversity but also reduces carbon emissions, improves fishery incomes, and shields coastal communities from storms.

The report warns that delaying action will worsen these problems and increase costs. For instance, delaying action on biodiversity protection could double the cost and lead to species extinctions, while postponing climate action adds at least USD 500 billion annually.

The report analyses future scenarios and stresses that "business as usual" will have devastating outcomes for nature, human health, and the climate.

Focusing only on one goal, like increasing food production, can harm biodiversity and water resources. However, scenarios that prioritise sustainable production, ecosystem restoration, and reducing consumption offer the best outcomes for both people and the planet. PTI GVS RHL