The International Day for Biological Diversity:
Biodiversity and Climate Change
22 May 2007

Biodiversity and Climate Change

Facing Climate Change

• The largest glacier on Mount Kenya has lost 92% of its mass
• Sea levels have risen by 10 - 25 cm
• Thickness of sea ice in the arctic has decreased by 40%
  

• 210 million more people at risk from malaria
• Up to 3.1 billion more people suffering from water scarcity
• 50 million more people facing hunger
  

The New Great Threat to Biodiversity

• Coral bleaching, caused by increased sea temperatures, is causing die-offs amongst coral reef communities from Australia to the Caribbean
• The Common Murre has advanced breeding by 24 days per decade over the past 50 years in response to higher temperatures
• The Baltimore oriole is shifting northward and may soon disappear entirely from the Baltimore area
• Polar bear populations are coming under threat as food becomes harder to hunt
  

The Biodiversity Safety Net

• the conservation of habitats can reduce the amount of CO2 released into the atmosphere Currently deforestation is estimated to be responsible for 20% of human-induced CO2 emission
• conserving certain species such as mangroves and drought resistant crops can reduce the disastrous impacts of climate change effects such as flooding and famine
• the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity can strengthen ecosystem resilience, improving the ability of ecosystems to provide critical services in the face of increasing climatic pressures
  

Responding Actions

• conserve biodiversity that is especially sensitive to climate change
• preserve habitats so as to facilitate the long-term adaptation of biodiversity
  
• improve our understanding of climate change – biodiversity linkages
• fully integrate biodiversity considerations into mitigation and adaptation plans