Threats to Biodiversity and Anthropogenic Pressures - A Study on Development and Demographic Pressures about Asia based on IUCN-CMP Threats Classification Scheme and Content Analysis of CBD National Reports -

Abstract

The conventional approach to maintaining biological biodiversity generally proceeds species by species and threat by threat. This trend seems to continue even today. Although efforts have been put to show threats to biodiversity in organized manners, mostly represented by IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)-CMP (Conservation Measurement Partnership) Threats Classification, research about what causes the threats (root causes) is not really available to date in a holistic way. Threats to biodiversity include nature- and human-induced ones. It is a common recognition that biodiversity is threatened mainly by human activities. A lot of studies talk about impact of anthropogenic pressures such as development and demographic ones to biodiversity. However, to the authors knowledge, little research is available on what the root causes on the human-induced threats are, largely because quantification of the magnitude of each threat seems to be difficult to be realised regardless of continuous efforts. So, based on the common understanding that threats to biodiversity are due mostly to anthropogenic pressures, this research aims to see if human development and demographic factors (represented in this study by per-capita GNI and human population growth momentum) can be scientifically said to be the root causes of the threats to biodiversity. This research should also be seen as another trial to quantify magnitude of the threats by means of content analysis on Asian CBD national reports by coding them in terms of classified threats by IUCN-CMP with codes established based on the elements of which each threat consists. After all this, one would become able to analyze the root causes. As a result, the following five factors have turned out to be the root causes of human-induced threats to biodiversity, namely, natural resource exploitation, tourism, oil and gas production, urbanization, and commercial and industrial area development. The major finding of the research is that oil and gas production seems also to play an important role in defining root causes of the threats to biodiversity. Unfortunately, the study could not clearly prove that neither per-capita GNI or human population growth pressure are related with the human-induced threats to biodiversity except for per-capita GNI with housing and urban area development, air and water pollution, and population pressure with hunting. However, at least it can be said that those countries expecting further economic growth should be prepared to mitigate threats from housing and urban area development and industrial water and air pollution. Countries with high population growth should focus on mitigation of hunting. Having been said all this, however, many of the Asian countries have faced severe lack of resources, both financial and human. In some countries, capacities for surveying and monitoring biodiversity, establishment and management of nature reserves and restoration of biodiversity are still very weak. Also, funds are seriously inadequate. Due to inadequate law enforcement conditions and lack of adequate infrastructure or equipment, too, in some sites, relevant laws cannot be enforced Further research is needed here to suggest to the conservation policy makers how they should better deal with such lack of resources.