Decoding Answer Writing Skills: For Civil Services & Group 1 by Nallapareddy Ravi

Author:Nallapareddy, Ravi [Nallapareddy, Ravi]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-03-01T00:00:00+00:00

It is high time to implement these strategies to protect the aquatic ecosystems and ensure its sustainability which is needed for livelihood of fishing communities and also ensure food and nutritional security.

Q1.Give a brief note on the major threats faced by biodiversity around the world. Enlist the reasons for ineffectiveness of various conventions and treaties in conserving biodiversity.

ORIGINAL ANSWER:

Biodiversity: It refers to the variety and variability of life on earth.

Importance of biodiversity: It boosts the productivity of the ecosystem and aids in the process of sustainable development.

But Biodiversity is at a major threat due to various human activities. This in turn poses a great threat to the very existence of humans on earth.

The major threats for bio diversity are:

1. Climate change:

Changes in climate throughout the history of the planet have altered the life on earth. Ecosystems have come and gone. Species have routinely gone extinct.

But rapid anthropogenic climate changes speed up this process without giving the ecosystems time to adapt.

2. Deforestation and Habitat loss:

It is a direct cause of loss of biodiversity. It destroys the habitat on which many species depend on for survival. Tropical rainforests such as amazon which have a high number of species, are declining due to anthropogenic factors.

3. Over exploitation:

Over hunting, over fishing and over harvesting contribute greatly to the loss of biodiversity. Poaching and hunting increases the chances of extinction of species. The extinction of the apex predator or a predator at the top of the food chain can result in catastrophic consequences for ecosystems.

4. Invasive species:

The introduction of non-native or foreign species into an ecosystem can threaten the endemic species either as predators or by competing for resources.

5. Pollution:

From the burning of fossil fuels to the dumping of plastic into the oceans, pollution completely disrupts the ecosystems. It has a potential to influence the habitats of species. Thereby changing the breeding and feeding habits of species.

There are several international conventions focusing on Biodiversity issues such as:

The convention of biological diversity, The convention on conservation of migratory species, CITES, Ramsar Convention, etc.

Even though the objectives of these treaties are framed to conserve biodiversity for sustainable development, practically the effectiveness of these treaties is far from perfect.

There are various reasons for the ineffectiveness of these conventions, such as:

Technical issues concerning the boundary definitions of Ramsar sites convention which makes identifying and protecting wetlands complicated.

Non-Participation of governments is an issue as there are many countries which are not parties to one or more of these conventions.

With-respect to CITES convention, even though trade of certain species is restricted or prohibited, there is still illegal trading of those species being carried on.

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