GEO-6 Regional Assessment for Asia and the Pacific


hectares) and Bangladesh (72 million hectares). Sand and dust storms are common in subtropical latitudes and dry savannahs, and in the mid-latitude drylands. There is a significant relationship between drylands, dust storms and anthropogenic land disturbance. Major storms occur when prolonged drought causes the soil surface to lose moisture and there are strong winds.


2.3 Biota and ecosystems


2.3.1 Introduction Biological resources and ecosystems are part of the resource base for sustainable development and a source of livelihoods of rural people in the Asia and the Pacific region. Rapid economic growth and an increasing population, accompanied by expanding agricultural and industrial activities as well as unsustainable resource use, have major impacts on natural ecosystems and human well-being.


The Asia and the Pacific region covers 13 of 35 global biodiversity hotspots, where the greatest number of endemic species is found, but their habitats are threatened by human activities (CEPF 2015). Unfortunately, deforestation in the tropical rain forest zone is a particular threat to species survival. The area of plantations is increasing in many places, but these often lack the diversity of species and do not replace lost forest ecosystem services.


In addition to forests, social wellbeing and prosperity in the Asia and the Pacific region are dependent on the products and services that marine ecosystems provide. Healthy oceans and coasts are critical not only for food security but also for poverty eradication, sustainable economic growth, preservation of traditional cultures and trade facilitation. Human action, however, is diminishing the capacity of many marine ecosystems to continue to provide these services.


The fifth Global Environment Outlook (GEO-5) described the state and trends of biodiversity and analysed six policies


Key Messages


Adverse trends in biodiversity are likely to continue due to expansion of extensive agriculture, oil palm and rubber plantations, illegal trade of wildlife and plants, aquaculture and unsustainable resource uses.


• Intact ecosystems and biodiversity is not equally distributed among the countries and sub-regions of Asia and the Pacific.


• Threatened native mammal and plant species increased by more than 10 and 18 per cent respectively in the last decade.


• Three-quarters of all threatened birds on oceanic islands are in danger from invasive species. • Captured fisheries are shifting throughout the region in response to both overfishing and migratory stocks, especially in the Pacific Islands.


• About a quarter of hard warm-water corals are threatened, mainly due to high thermal stress and dumping of plastic debris and micro-plastic hazardous waste in the oceans.


Degradation of biota and ecosystems affects the livelihoods of 50-80 per cent of rural people in Asia and the Pacific countries dependent on forest products and fishery resources.


68


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116  |  Page 117  |  Page 118  |  Page 119  |  Page 120  |  Page 121  |  Page 122  |  Page 123  |  Page 124  |  Page 125  |  Page 126  |  Page 127  |  Page 128  |  Page 129  |  Page 130  |  Page 131  |  Page 132  |  Page 133  |  Page 134  |  Page 135  |  Page 136  |  Page 137  |  Page 138  |  Page 139  |  Page 140  |  Page 141  |  Page 142  |  Page 143  |  Page 144  |  Page 145  |  Page 146  |  Page 147  |  Page 148  |  Page 149  |  Page 150  |  Page 151  |  Page 152  |  Page 153  |  Page 154  |  Page 155  |  Page 156  |  Page 157  |  Page 158  |  Page 159  |  Page 160  |  Page 161  |  Page 162  |  Page 163  |  Page 164  |  Page 165  |  Page 166  |  Page 167  |  Page 168  |  Page 169  |  Page 170  |  Page 171  |  Page 172  |  Page 173  |  Page 174  |  Page 175  |  Page 176  |  Page 177  |  Page 178  |  Page 179  |  Page 180  |  Page 181  |  Page 182  |  Page 183  |  Page 184  |  Page 185  |  Page 186  |  Page 187  |  Page 188  |  Page 189  |  Page 190  |  Page 191  |  Page 192  |  Page 193  |  Page 194  |  Page 195  |  Page 196  |  Page 197  |  Page 198  |  Page 199  |  Page 200  |  Page 201  |  Page 202  |  Page 203  |  Page 204  |  Page 205  |  Page 206  |  Page 207  |  Page 208  |  Page 209  |  Page 210  |  Page 211  |  Page 212  |  Page 213  |  Page 214  |  Page 215  |  Page 216  |  Page 217  |  Page 218  |  Page 219  |  Page 220  |  Page 221  |  Page 222  |  Page 223  |  Page 224  |  Page 225  |  Page 226  |  Page 227