Policy Challenges Presented by Environmental Problems

Policy Challenges Presented by Environmental Problems

Loss of Biodiversity

Frances Baxter

POL 310 Environmental Policies

Policy challenges Surrounding Environmental Problems

Loss of Biodiversity

Biodiversity is the variability among living organisms from all sources and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems. The importance of biodiversity is boundless and the basis of many benefits provided by ecosystems to humans. “In policy processes, the term biodiversity has been broadened into a holistic notion uniting a variety of cultural, social and economic issues with the biological conservation issue“(Heink, 2010). Biodiversity conservation policy has been difficult to form despite international commitments to its protection.

Biodiversity is declining at a rapid rate. “The challenges of conserving the world’s species are perhaps even larger than mitigating the negative effects of global climate change “(University of Copenhagen, 2012). The rate of species extinction and the degradation of ecosystems are only accelerating. The extinction rate is one-hundred to a thousand time the natural rate. We are currently experiencing the sixth mass extinction of species however unlike the others humans are the primary cause.

Biodiversity is a relatively new issue of policies, becoming main-stream after the American National Forum on BioDiversity in 1986. Biodiversity is complex and contains many uncertainties, its understanding and management demand continuing tactics. “One of the most obvious obstacles facing the scientific community when making recommendations for biodiversity policies is the lack of information” (Peuhkuri, 1999).

It often becomes difficult to make policy when science is unanimous. While biodiversity conservation is a major objective of nature conservation, accurately measuring the total biodiversity of an area is virtually unachievable. Many...