blog that we “kill biodiversity,” i.e. that the word is ditched altogether. However, as the comments on Mr. Shanahan’s post suggest, the idea to get rid of the word is unlikely to take hold. It’s impractical to abolish it; too much media and academic discourse has already been invested in the term.
A constructive approach would be to agree on a definition of biodiversity that can be included in all outreach, education and media.
With this in
mind, the author conducted a quick Google search for ‘Biodiversity’; at least 18 commonly recurring definitions cropped up with hundreds of others in addition. Clearly there is a “diversity” of definitions and this exercise suggests that the range of descriptions is simply further confusing the public. This results in information fatigue and a resultant apathy towards Biodiversity. How can we make sense of the numerous variations to arrive at a consensual definition?
Help is clearly needed to overcome this problem and industry is ideally placed to lead this process as businesses are well versed and expert in communicating with their customers.
Is it all doom and gloom? The simple answer is “No”, but more examples of success stories need to be communicated to the public at large and to politicians in particular. One such example is the work of Conservation Non Governmental Organisations (NGO) who work tirelessly to meet the aims and objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), often with limited resources and the threat of funding cuts continuously hanging over them. Despite the restrictions, the Ulster Wildlife Trust, funded by North Down Strategy Partnership, and managed by North Down Business Village, through the European Union’s PEACE II Programme, recently engaged WYG to work and advise on the Balloo Wetland project, a project to transform a derelict piece of land on the outskirts of Bangor, Co. Down into a haven for wildlife and a resource for the local community. Ponds, a bird hide and a wetland scrape were incorporated into the design to enhance the previously depaurparate habitat. On visiting the site now,
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just two years on, as well as the usual ducks and geese a visitor might also spot the amber listed kingfisher, dragonflies, damselflies and a wide variety of wetland plant life.
Balloo Wetland: Balloo Wetland Nature Reserve in Bangor
Commercial developments can also play their part to improve biodiversity. Other recent projects by WYG include a colliery habitat restoration in Nottinghamshire where ditches were recreated and enhanced for water vole, a UK Biodiversity Action Plan Species; and a Shropshire sand and gravel quarry where habitat enhancement was incorporated for the downy emerald dragonfly, a nationally scarce species. Whilst these projects were driven by legislation and not benevolence this does not detract from the value of the outcome, i.e. they will have a lasting, positive impact on Biodiversity. This was achieved by creating linkages and stepping stones between retained and enhanced habitats, helping to deliver the aims of both county wide and regional strategies.
Future actions Failure would perhaps be too strong a word, however it is accepted that the target to significantly reduce biodiversity loss by 2010 has not been achieved. Added to that, there still remains the hurdle of popularising even the mere concept of biodiversity with the masses. The International Year of Biodiversity 2010 represented a year where more efforts were made to bring the concept to public attention than ever before, which can only be a good thing.
Furthermore, discussions on a new set of targets for protecting biodiversity over the next decade have come out of the CBD review conference, which was recently held in Nagoya, Japan.
The chairman’s report from Nagoya produced “12 messages:”
These were as follows: • The 2010 target has inspired action, but has not been reached in full
• Biodiversity loss and degradation of ecosystem services have increasingly dangerous consequences for human well-being, and even survival for some societies
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