Sustainable Development Goals Post – 2015 and Biological Diversity

Dr. Marina Rosales Benites de Franco

Prof. Federico Villarreal National University

 

The MDGs to 2015 many of them have had direct or indirect links to the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and ecosystem services. The eradication of poverty is directly dependent on good health of ecosystems. Over exploitation and degradation of natural capital, the non-participation of the benefits fairly and equitably, decimates the economies of rural populations.

 

The effects on health of people and the spread of disease is a result of imbalance of ecosystem functioning. The loss of wild species, the collapse of ecosystems and genetic resources, i.e. the loss of biological diversity limits our aspirations for economic growth in the context of sustainable development. Of the eight Millennium Development Goals by 2015, goals 1, 4, 5, 6 and 7 are directly related (63%) with the biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services.

 

The 17 proposed objectives Post - 2015 involving social, economic, and environmental issues have a strong structural base on biodiversity and ecosystem services. The eradication of extreme poverty and build resilience depend on the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Ending hunger, achieve food security and improve nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture, is linked to the conservation of genetic resources of domesticated and wild relatives of domesticated species, the share of their profits in fair conditions and access to relevant technologies. It is also important to emphasize the importance of pollination by birds, bats and insects, for the development of agriculture. The health and wellness for all ages is linked with healthy and resilient ecosystems.

 

Adaptation to climate change is directly related to the conservation of ecosystems and biodiversity; the effective management of protected areas and its connectivity; and, ecosystem restoration, i.e. the natural infrastructure is relevant vital for our present and future development, so we should increase our investments in natural infrastructure.

 

The sustainable use of marine resources and ecosystems is related to the sustainable management based on the ecosystem approach, the success of fisheries management plans depends on knowledge of the status of populations and ecosystems that sustain marine resources. The studies of reproductive biology and its ecosystems, in order to use the stocks directly without exceeding their carrying capacity and maintain its resilience, which reports directly to the conservation of marine biodiversity and related watersheds.

 

Good governance has not been included as one of the post-2015 targets, which is worrying, because the environmental and social problems that have been facing in developing countries are the poor governance with high rates corruption.

 

The patterns of production and consumption must be addressed with inclusions of responsibility for their negative impacts to ecosystems and biodiversity, including measures for the restoration and the compensation. The use of ecosystem resources should taking into account its carrying capacity, within safe ecological limits. The cost of production must include treatment of pollutants, payments for ecosystems service and projects linked to conservation biological diversity.

 

For these reasons, it is priority to emphasize and support the direct relation linked between the sustainable development and conservation of biological diversity, so the document post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals should refer the vital importance of biological diversity and the ecosystem services,  and with the Aichi Biodiversity Targets 2011 -  2020.