2010 will be the International Year of Biodiversity.
Eight years ago, governments decided to reduce the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010, but the results are not good.
Why is the loss of species becoming a very serious problem?
The main reasons are expansion of human cities, farming and pollution.
According to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon human expansion is destroying species at about 1,000 times the "natural" or "background" rate.
The species loss is so fast that some biologists say that we are in the middle of the Earth's sixth great extinction. The difference is that the previous five were the results of natural events.
Forests, watersheds, coral reefs and other ecosystems must be protected in more effective ways.
If natural systems such as forests and wetlands disappear, services such as the purification of air and water and protection from extreme weather events will disappear with them.
History of failures
The UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was agreed upon at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, alongside the climate change convention.
During the Johannesburg summit of 2002 governments agreed to achieve a "significant reduction" in the rate of biological diversity loss by 2010.
But despite some successes, the target will not be met; nature loss is accelerating rather than decelerating.
A UN study into the economics of biodiversity says that deforestation alone costs the global economy $2-5 trillion each year.
Public awareness
To raise public awareness on the issue, the UN has decided on a collaboration with the Cameroon football team which will take part in the African Nations Cup finals.
Many environment organisations are organizing special programmes and events during the year.
WWF has chosen 10 species it considers especially threatened, such as bluefin tuna, the Pacific walrus and the monarch butterfly.
In the UK, the national IYB partnership - hosted by the Natural History Museum (NHM) - is asking every citizen to "do one thing for biodiversity" in 2010.
The International Year of Biodiversity is an important opportunity for governments to do something for biodiversity. The failure of climate change programmes are a negative model they must not imitate.
(Adapted for educational purposes from news.bbc.co.uk)
(Photo from http://www.archbold-station.org)
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