Headline News at the World Conservationists’ Meeting – concern over the spread of invasive alien species
Assessment
Lithuanian representatives August 28 – September 2. participated in the 10th plenary session of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services held in Bonn (Germany). Guinea, Namibia, Palau and Oman joined the platform this year, bringing the total number of member countries to 143.
The session endorsed the Invasive Alien Species Thematic Assessment Report and its executive summary for policy makers. The report states that as many as 60 percent of the world’s population has disappeared due to invasive alien species. global species, and on the islands this indicator reaches as much as 90 percent. Also, due to invasive species, the economic costs increase four times every decade, and those species even 85 percent. cases have a negative impact on a good quality of life.
The report shows that the Americas (34 percent), Europe and Central Asia (31 percent) are the most affected by invasive species.
The threat posed by invasive alien species is increasing in all regions and is predicted to continue to do so in the future. Even without humans moving new plant species into places where they did not grow, existing populations of invasive alien species will continue to expand. And this will only increase the threats posed by invasive alien species in the future.
At this meeting, representatives of the countries of the world made important decisions, which, according to scientists, are necessary to prevent further acceleration of the loss of biological diversity. Some alien species become invasive, causing negative and sometimes irreversible effects on nature: the uniqueness of biological communities is lost, contributing to the deterioration of the biosphere, which is particularly important for humanity. Invasive and alien species are also spreading faster due to climate change, but these species are driving climate change by altering ecosystems and processes within them.
Curbing the increasing number of invasive alien species and reducing their spread and impact can be achieved through short-term and long-term management actions, through closer cooperation between individual public administration and economic sectors and countries. Prevention is the best option, but early detection, eradication, containment and control of these species are also effective.
Also, the 10th plenary session discussed other important issues, such as ongoing and future work of the program, cooperation with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
The report for this session on invasive alien species can be viewed here.
