conservation Archives - Silvica: Blog for Sustainable Development https://silvica.site/tag/conservation/ Greening our world through content Mon, 05 Apr 2021 08:01:52 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.1 https://i0.wp.com/silvica.site/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/cropped-silvica_image.jpg?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 conservation Archives - Silvica: Blog for Sustainable Development https://silvica.site/tag/conservation/ 32 32 162136420 Conservation of biodiversity for human health is vital, otherwise pandemics like Covid-19 will be the new normal https://silvica.site/conservation-of-biodiversity-for-human-health-is-vital-otherwise-pandemics-like-covid-19-will-be-the-new-normal/ Sun, 31 May 2020 13:56:27 +0000 http://silvica.site/?p=1045 In pursuit of development Human activities has let to the destruction of biodiversity. It is emerging that conservation of biodiversity for human health is vital.

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By David Okul

Why should we strive to conserve biodiversity? I believe that If we do not, pathogens will find space to live among us. And when they do, our public health might be in danger. Hear me out.

No one knows the exact origins of coronavirus (Covid-19). Regardless, many people believe that it originated from Wuhan China, mainly because the first cases had linkages with a wet market in the area. Regardless, scientists know that the SARS-CoV-2 is common in bat populations. The virus somehow managed to infect humans. Like AIDS, SARS, Ebola, and some other infectious epidemics, the coronavirus is a zoonotic disease.

Think about it; the human body has trillions of microorganisms. How many more microorganisms exist within other plants and animals? I do not know, but I guess that it is undoubtedly more than quadrillions, or the next ‘llion’! And some of those microorganisms are pathogens, meaning that they cause diseases.

As we get closer to biodiversity, we expose ourselves to the pathogens

Human activities like urbanization, agriculture, logging, mining, and population growth trigger the destruction of biodiversity.

It is the destruction of biodiversity that creates conditions for new diseases. Tropical forests and wildlands have various plants and animals, and these living things harbor a variety of viruses. As we tamper with biodiversity, we get closer to more and more microbes.

Humans disrupt the ecosystem by killing animals and destroying habitats. When that happens, the viruses (and other microbes) that used to live in the animals and habitats will require new hosts. Often, the new hosts are us.

To reiterate, killing all the biodiversity will not get rid of the microbes. Inevitably, a few microbes may go extinct, but a significant number will look for alternative hosts. Humans will make a right candidate for alternative hosts because we are spread all over the earth.

The hidden cost of human economic development is exposure to zoonotic diseases. Rarely do environmental impact assessments capture this enormous cost. If you want to argue about the costs of zoonotic diseases, refer to how coronavirus has put the world at a halt.

Conserving biodiversity for human health is pertinent.

Researchers believe that pathogens are crossing from animals to humans at an alarming rate. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 75% of new emerging diseases are zoonotic. The coronavirus is just a tip of the iceberg, and more dangerous infectious diseases may arise if we do not put our act together.

We believe that conserving biodiversity will have positive outcomes for human health. As such, governments and non-governmental organizations should ensure enough land is set for protected areas. Species and their associated microbes will thrive in protected areas

I am not saying that maintaining protected areas will automatically mean that we will have no new zoonotic diseases. But yes, the risks will reduce. We should accept that humans are part of the earth system. In the bigger scheme of things, our ecological function is as crucial as the persistent mosquito.

David Okul is an environmental management professional with over 10 years experience on donor projects, conservation, forestry, ecotourism, and community-based natural resources management. When not working on  active environmental management projects, I spend my time writing for Silvica on a variety of topics. The views on this blog post are personal. 

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]]> 1045 Global Impact of Coronavirus on Endangered species https://silvica.site/global-impact-of-coronavirus-on-endangered-species/ Thu, 14 May 2020 07:49:40 +0000 http://silvica.site/?p=888 Without a doubt, the coronavirus has altered our lives in many ways. While some short-term environmental benefits of COVID-19 are refreshing, the pandemic is likely

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Without a doubt, the coronavirus has altered our lives in many ways. While some short-term environmental benefits of COVID-19 are refreshing, the pandemic is likely to have a net-negative impact on the environment. For instance, the virus is increasing threats to the already endangered species.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies the risk faced by species into nine categories. One of the classes is the ‘Endangered’ category, which shows a species has a high risk of extinction in the wild. Extinction threatens over 31% of the assessed species.

If action isn’t taken, some of the species on IUCN’s red list may be gone sooner than expected because of the coronavirus. Species under threat range from rhinos in Africa to Giant Ibises in Asia.

Black and white Rhinos in Africa are facing unprecedented threats from poachers.

feeding and breeding habits of black rhinos
There are less than 5,000 black rhinos in the wilds of Africa as the species is critically endangered (Image by Ron Porter from Pixabay)

The rhinoceros once roamed the world, but fewer than 30,000 different species of rhinos exist today, mostly in protected areas such as reserves, sanctuaries, and national parks. The black rhino has about 5,000 individuals (there were about 70,000 black rhinos as recently as 1970). It is no wonder that IUCN classifies the black rhino as ‘critically endangered.’ On the other hand, the white rhino number at least 17,000 (also in Africa) and is classified as ‘Near Threatened.’

A significant cause of the decline of the rhino population is the poaching and illegal trade of the rhino horn. In the current market, a kilogram of rhino horn could fetch over US$ 60,000. In many Asian countries, rhino horns are viewed as a standard wealth symbol and aphrodisiacs.

The demand and illicit trade of rhino horn were there even before the coronavirus. However, lockdowns and low tourism numbers have significantly increased poaching incidents in Africa.

In Botswana, poachers have killed at least six black rhinos since the coronavirus lockdown. Conservationists in Botswana are translocating black rhinos to undisclosed locations following the poaching and impending floods. Similarly, nine rhinos have been killed in South Africa. It is a bloody calamity that has led to the loss of lives too. Botswana security forces have killed at least five poachers in separate incidents.

Mountain Gorillas and Eastern Chimpanzees in Central Africa

On 24th April 2020, suspected rebel groups killed twelve rangers and five other people in Virunga National Park. The rebel groups fighting the Congolese government use poaching to fund their activities. Some of the species targeted include the endangered mountain gorillas and Eastern Chimpanzees.

The deadly attack happened amid the coronavirus lockdown. Maybe the attack wouldn’t have happened if the park was busy with tourism activities, just perhaps. 

Jaguar, Ocelots and Pumas in Columbia

Jaguar is the only living member of Genus panthera native to south America (Image by PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay)

A conservation organization called Panthera reports that poachers have killed five jaguars, one puma, and one ocelot in Columbia following the lockdown. The exact numbers of the threatened cats killed are unknown because both the informants and conservation security staff are on lockdown. 

Like the cases in Africa, poachers are more emboldened to strike because of the decreased patrols and law enforcement. The big cats are often perceived as pests in South America because they kill livestock.

Although IUCN lists jaguars as ‘Near Threatened,’ both puma and ocelot are listed as ‘Least Concern.’ Regardless, the populations of the big cats are reducing such that some conservationists think that they will be endangered soon.

Poaching incidents in Asia are increasing too.

About three hundred giant Ibises are left worldwide, and three were poisoned in Cambodia during the lockdown (that is 1% of the population). The critically endangered bird has a slow reproduction rate, but it is poached for its meat. The poachers believe removing the gut content quickly makes the meat poison-free. The COVID-19 pandemic has shut down ecotourism in the tourism-reliant South East Asia, which means that a significant number of people lack income. These people turn to cut trees and hunting wildlife for food and income sources. Apart from Ibises, significant numbers of painted stock, white-wing ducks, and sarus cranes have been killed in Cambodia following the lockdown.

India is home to 75% of the endangered tiger species. The New York Times report conservationists in India are worried that the virus could ‘jump into’ their tiger population with devastating effects. Additionally, there is an increase in bushmeat poaching of deer for food. If the trend of deer poaching continues, the tigers may have difficulty in finding prey. 

Tourism and philanthropy are the primary basis of models for protecting wildlife and other natural resources. Following the coronavirus, travel restrictions and lockdowns have virtually stopped tourism. This halt implies that funds available for protecting wildlife, including endangered species, have reduced as well.  Poachers are taking advantage of reduced surveillance.

We owe the future generation a chance to enjoy the current natural resources. The coronavirus has accelerated the pressures faced by the natural environment. Despite the pandemic, world leaders should think of an action plan to save the endangered species. Fast.

David Okul is an environmental management professional with over 10 years experience on donor projects, conservation, forestry, ecotourism, and community-based natural resources management. When not working on  active environmental management projects, I spend my time writing for Silvica on a variety of topics.  

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