By Seojin David Lee
It is evident that there is a biodiversity crisis everywhere these days. However, there is one particular region where the issue is particularly severe: the Asia-Pacific region. While biodiversity decline is prevalent, researchers have found that the ecosystems and species within the Asia-Pacific region are particularly being threatened. For instance, about 60% of its grasslands have been harmed due to overgrazing, invasive species, etc. Such events have led to detrimental consequences: out of the ten most polluted rivers in the world, eight of them are in Asia, and consequently, nearly 25% of the species in the ecosystem are threatened (1).
Why should these facts alarm us? A crucial reason is that researchers have found that the quality of biodiversity is closely related to people's well-being. In other words, biodiversity decline leads to a worse quality of life for people. Hence, the biodiversity crisis is particularly alarming in Asia-Pacific because almost 200 million people are said to depend on the resources within the area: that is a direct negative impact on the quality of life for more than 200 million people (2).
Another reason is that the lack of biodiversity means an increase in the extinction of different species. Currently, Asia-Pacific has the richest biodiversity on Earth. Yet, researchers state that if its rapid biodiversity decline continues, up to 42% of all species within Southeast Asia could go extinct at the end of the century (2).
Fortunately, there are ways to impede the decline rate and ultimately protect biodiversity. One approach is the implementation of certain policies so that people within the region are more cautious of the biodiversity concern (1). For instance, spreading the need for biodiversity concern among local communities could encourage people to take part in more environmental-friendly practices. Another approach is to invest in certain programs and ecofriendly companies with a vision to conserve biodiversity (2).
The importance of biodiversity is often overlooked; yet, the two articles mentioned have clearly delineated why the concern is alarming and must be addressed. It is not too late to join the fight in raising awareness about biodiversity decline in the world, specifically in Asia-Pacific.
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