Mon, Nov 21, 2011
UN Calls for International Collaboration
to Safeguard Wildlife Frequent Travellers
Bergen, Norway, 21 November 2011- The world
is covered by billions of invisible migratory
pathways. On land, in the water and in the
air, animals on the move depend on the availability
of critical sites along their annual journeys.
These world wildlife hubs are vital for
the animals to refuel and reproduce, one
missing link can jeopardize an entire population.
Convention on Migratory Species
(CMS)Much like modern transport systems
with airports, railways and roads, migratory
species have similar networks spanning the
globe. Many of these hubs are under intense
pressure from human development and the
exploitation of natural resources.
Scientists predict the
global "Mean Species Abundance",
a measure to project both the diversity
of species and their numbers, will decrease
from 0.70 in 2000, to about 0.63 by 2050.
This projected loss
of abundance and species of wildlife is
equivalent to eradicating all fauna and
flora in an area of 9.1 million km2 , roughly
the size of the United States of America
or China , in less than 40 years.
Today, representatives
from near 100 governments come together
for a UN conference in Bergen, Norway, convened
by the Convention on the Conservation of
Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS)
of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) to
help safeguard migratory wildlife.
World wildlife hubs
are threatened across the planet. In the
Canadian High Arctic white Beluga whales
migrating in open narrow corridors in the
ice may see their migration stopped by shipping
traffic from a large proposed iron mine.
Whales and dolphins are exposed to increasing
noise pollution from sonar and vessels,
which might lead to changes and drops of
up to 58 per cent in the communication of
the marine mammals.
In the Yellow Sea in
East Asia land reclamation is destroying
critical "airports" for waterbirds,
while the open plains of Central Asia, Africa
and South America are being bisected by
roads, railways and new mining projects.
Poaching is causing
dramatic declines in rhinos, elephants,
tigers and antelopes worldwide, with few
resources for enforcement.
These are some of the
threatened sites identified in the report
entitled Living Planet: Connected Planet.
Preventing the End of the World's Wildlife
Migrations through Ecological Networks.
It was launched today in Bergen by the Convention
on the Conservation of Migratory Species
of Wild Animals (UNEP/CMS).
"For all the frequent
travellers of the animal world, ecological
networks are essential for their migration
and survival. International cooperation
is crucial to manage these large transboundary
networks. The commitment of all countries
is needed, so that future generations can
still marvel at and benefit from these nomads
connecting our planet," CMS Executive
Secretary, Elizabeth Maruma Mrema said.
The report highlights
how international collaboration has resulted
in unique success stories in protecting
migratory species as examples to follow.
Birdlife travelling
along the East Atlantic Flyway from Africa
to the Arctic needs to land and refuel.
The Dutch-German-Danish trilateral cooperation
has helped safeguard a key "airport"
hub in the Wadden Sea for species travelling
globally.
In the tiny Pacific
island nation of Palau, sharks that have
roamed the oceans for over 400 million years
were becoming endangered due to the demand
for their fins for soup.
"Two years ago,
Palau became the first country to declare
its coastal waters a shark sanctuary-scientists
now estimate that shark diving tours are
generating around eight per cent of the
country's GDP and that a single shark generates
revenues from ecotourism amounting to 1.9
million over its lifetime", said Achim
Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General and
UNEP Executive Director.
The globally threatened
Lesser White-fronted Goose breeds in the
forest tundra from Scandinavia to easternmost
Russia has declined dramatically since the
1950s, but the framework of the African-Eurasian
Migratory Waterbird Agreement has brought
together governments of the 22 key countries
along the birds' migration routes to help
save the species from extinction.
The endangered Mountain
Gorillas in the Virungas on the borders
of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda
and Uganda numbered only 250 in 1981, but
successful transboundary enforcement measures
led to its recovery in the midst of one
of world's most severe conflicts. By 2010,
the ape's population had reached 480.
A ten-year programme
to restore and conserve seven million hectares
of wetlands in China, Iran, Kazakhstan and
Russia has not only boosted the prospects
for the critically endangered Siberian crane
but also improved drinking water supplies,
inland fisheries and carbon storage.
The report calls for
international collaboration to safeguard
the ecological networks binding the many
wildlife hubs and corridors together.
However, while great
success has been made through the Convention
and international collaboration, a few of
the largest countries in the world, accounting
for near 36 per cent of the global land
area, are still not parties to the Convention,
posing challenges for protecting migratory
species worldwide in spite of the 150 countries
collaborating.
Poaching
Poaching is once again
on the rise, especially in the grasslands
and savannahs of Africa and Central Asia.
"Organized poaching on animals such
as rhinos, elephants and antelopes is increasing
rapidly in Asia and Africa and support is
desperately needed to address this at a
wider international scale", says Christian
Nellemann, of UNEP's GRID-Arendal centre
in Norway.
The numbers of Wildebeest,
Rhinos, Saiga and Chiru antelopes, Goitered
and Tibetan Gazelles, Guanacos and Vicuñas,
have fallen in many areas by 35-90 per cent
over the past decades.
Overhunting for illegal
trade in horn led to a dramatic decline
of the Saiga antelope populations by 95
per cent from one million to only 50,000
animals. Under the CMS, the Saiga Antelope
Memorandum of Understanding, monitoring,
identification of protected areas for calving
and rutting herds, transboundary patrolling
and the participation of local communities
have built the core pillars of an efficient
conservation strategy.
The protection of huge
reserves in China and Central Asia, along
with greater focus on anti-poaching, has
also helped save the Chiru, or Tibetan antelope,
from possible extinction, as their numbers
dropped from over one million to less than
75,000 in one to two decades.
Chiru's were hunted
for their wool, Shahtoosh, which could bring
up to US$5,000 for one shawl on the black
market, but Chinese anti-poaching efforts
combined with the establishment of some
of the largest reserves in the world by
the People's Republic of China, have turned
the fate of these migratory animals. But
challenges of poaching continue.
Barriers to migration
Chiru Antelopes still
crossing the Qinghai-Tibetan railway and
the Golmud-Lhasa highway to reach and return
from their calving grounds spend 20-40 days
looking for passages and waiting.
Road construction across
the Serengeti, the most diverse grazing
ecosystem on Earth, may cause major losses
in the 1.5 million migrating Wildebeest,
ranging from 300,000 to close to one million,
with severe consequences for the entire
ecosystem network, including for other animals
and plants. Recent promises by the Tanzanian
government to protect the Serengeti against
the proposed roads, has helped the largest
remaining intact wild ungulate grazing system
remaining on the planet in the last 250,000
years, and is being applauded by the international
community.
In Kenya's Masai Mara
a decline of 81 per cent between the late
1970s and 11000s in the migratory Wildebeest
population was reported in response to the
fencing obstructing the annual migration
and poaching.
Examples:
For migratory birds
and bats, wetlands and resting sites have
declined by over 50 per cent in the last
century, many of which are critical to these
long distance travelers.
Coastal development
is increasing rapidly and is projected to
have an impact on 91 per cent of all temperate
and tropical coasts by 2050 and will contribute
to more than 80 per cent of all marine pollution
with severe impacts on migratory birds.
Guanacos and Vicuñas
have lost 40-75 per cent of their ranges
in South America, and probably dropped at
least by 90 per cent in their numbers over
the last centuries due to habitat loss from
expanding ranching and poaching.
Humpback Whales in Oceania
are threatened by bycatch, habitat degradation,
pollution, disease, noise, ship strikes,
depletion of prey and climate change.
The tiny Nathusius'
pipistrelle is a bat species weighing only
6 to 10 grams which travels almost 2,000
kilometers annually and is threatened by
habitat loss and of collisions with the
rapidly increasing number of wind power
farms. The CMS EUROBATS-project has worked
towards protecting habitats and flyways.
Loss of grassland ecosystems
and agricultural activities at breeding
grounds and along migration routes in southern
South America threatens the Buff-breasted
Sandpiper and other grassland birds. CMS
is working with countries in the region
to identify new protected areas and zones
located outside to create a network of habitats.
Bycatch is the top threat
to the majority of marine mammals with an
annual loss of more than 600,000 animals.
The sub-population of
the Humpback Whale migrating between Oceania
and the Southern Ocean has plummeted by
70 per cent since 1942 to between 3,000
and 5,000 animals only.
Recommendations to secure
ecological networks for migratory species
include:
Assessing national infrastructure
development projects including roads, railways,
pipelines, power lines, wind parks and dams
impeding migration of transboundary ungulates
helps identify ways of mitigating impacts
and evaluate them in relation to possible
violation of the CMS.
Combating environmental
crime, such as poaching, requires a more
concerted international effort to counteract
illegal trade in wildlife products globally.
A substantial increase in the funding and
collaboration between INTERPOL, the World
Bank, CITES (Convention on International
Trade in Endangered Species), WCO (World
Customs Organization) and UNODC (UN Office
on Drugs and Crime) to help further combat
wildlife crime are prerequisites for success.
Increased anti-poaching
training and enforcement, including training
of trackers and improved crime scene management
to secure evidence for prosecution, are
strongly needed.
A substantial increase
in the number and size of marine protected
areas is urgently needed. Important swimways
of whales and dolphins, especially within
the 200-kilometer coastal zone, should,
where possible, be included in marine protected
areas and certain stretches should be designated
as limited sail zones for freight vessels
and naval activity.
Restoration of wetlands,
tidal flats and the coastal zones must be
enhanced along the major bird flyways on
all continents and countries, to ensure
the survival of migratory birds.
The Tenth Meeting of
the Conference of the Parties to CMS, which
is being held from 20 to 25 November 2011
in Bergen, Norway, is putting particular
focus on the importance of ecological networks
as an efficient instrument to protect a
wide range of migratory animals.
Notes to Editors:
The Convention on the
Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild
Animals (UNEP/CMS) works for the conservation
of a wide array of endangered migratory
animals worldwide through the negotiation
and implementation of agreements and action
plans. CMS is a growing convention with
special importance due to its expertise
in the field of migratory species. At present,
116 countries are Parties to the Convention.
www.cms.int
+ More
2 Degree Celsius Climate
Target at Risk from Ozone-Friendly Replacement
Chemicals
Mon, Nov 21, 2011
Bali (Indonesia)/Nairobi, 21 November 2011
- Keeping a global, 21st century temperature
rise under 2 degrees Celsius will require
urgent action on a group of chemicals increasingly
being used in products such as air conditioners,
refrigerators, firefighting equipment and
insulation foams.
The chemicals, collectively
known as Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), are
becoming popular as replacements for those
phased-out or being phased-out to protect
the ozone layer-the Earth's high flying
shield that filters out dangerous levels
of the sun's ultra violet rays.
23rd Conference of the
Parties to the Montreal ProtocolBut a report
launched today by the UN Environment Programme
(UNEP) projects that by 2050 HFCs could
be responsible for emissions equivalent
to 3.5 to 8.8 Gigatonnes (Gt) of carbon
dioxide (Gt CO2eq) - comparable to total
current annual emissions from transport,
estimated at around 6-7 Gt annually.
Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary
General and UNEP Executive Director, said:
"The more than 20 year-old international
effort to save the ozone layer ranks among
the most successful examples of cooperation
and collaboration among nations-the original
chemicals, known as CFCs, were phased-out
globally in 2010 and countries are freezing
and then phasing-out the replacements, HCFCs".
"However a new
challenge is rapidly emerging as countries
move ahead on HCFCs and that is HFCs. While
these 'replacements for the replacement'
chemicals cause near zero damage to the
ozone layer, they are powerful greenhouse
gases in their own right. The good news
is that alternatives exist alongside technological
solutions according to this international
study and while assessing the absolute benefits
from switching needs further scientific
refinement there is enough compelling evidence
to begin moving away from the most powerful
HFCs today," he added.
HFCs are, along with
CO2, methane and other gases, controlled
under the UN's Framework Convention for
Combating Climate Change and its Kyoto Protocol.
Measures to protect
the ozone layer are carried out under the
Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete
the Ozone Layer.
"Cooperative action
between these treaties may be the key to
fast action on HFCs, assisting to maintain
momentum on recovering the ozone layer while
simultaneously reducing risks of accelerated
climate change," said Mr Steiner.
The new report HFCs:
A Critical Link in Protecting Climate and
the Ozone Layer was launched today in Bali,
Indonesia, at the 23rd Meeting of the Parties
to the Montreal Protocol.
The report is the first
of three being launched this week by UNEP
in the run up to the UN climate convention
meeting in Durban, South Africa. (see Notes
to Editors)
Key Findings from the
HFC report
The contribution of
HFCs to climate forcing is currently less
than one per cent of all greenhouse gases.
But levels of HFCs are
rising as they replace HCFCs-HFC 134a, the
most popular type, has increased in the
atmosphere by about 10 per cent per year
since 2006.
The consumption of HFCs
is projected to exceed the peak consumption
levels in the 1980s of the old, now fully
phased-out CFCs-this is primarily due to
rising demand in emerging economies and
a global population now above seven billion.
The phase-out and phase-down of CFCs and
HCFCs since the late 1980s has reduced greenhouse
gas emissions by around 8 Gt C02eq annually
while reducing damage to the ozone layer.
This has been a tremendous plus for global
climate protection.
However, without action,
the increasing use of HFCs could add annual
greenhouse gas emissions of between 3.5
and 8.8 Gt C02 eq by 2050, and thus undo
the large climate benefits scored by the
phase out of CFCs and HCFCs since the late
1980s.
The report points to
a range of alternatives that could ensure
that the impact of HFCs remains small and
equal to today's impacts.
Alternative Methods
and Processes - these range from improved
building design that reduces or avoids the
need for air conditioners to fibre rather
than foam insulation materials
Non-HFC substances -
there are already commercially available
alternatives that range from ammonia to
dimethyl ether for use in foams, refrigeration
and fire protection systems
Climate-friendly HFCs
- some HFCs have shorter life-times in the
atmosphere of months rather than years.
Some of these are being introduced such
as HFC 1234ze in foams and HFC-1234yf for
mobile air-conditioners
The report points out
that, with further technical developments
backed by standards, investment incentives
and training for technicians and workers,
the introduction of alternatives to climate-damaging
HFCs could be accelerated and fast-tracked.
Notes to Editors
HFCs: A Critical Link
in Protecting Climate and the Ozone Layer-a
UNEP Synthesis Reportis available at http://www.unep.org/dewa/Portals/67/pdf/HFC_report.pdf
On 23 November at 11.30
am GMT UNEP, in collaboration with climate
modeling centres, will launch Bridging the
Gap: An Assessment which outlines the gap
between the commitments and pledges of countries
versus where emissions need to be by around
2020 in order to keep a global temperature
rise under 2 Degrees C
Venue: Kohn Centre,
The Royal Society, 6-9 Carlton House Terrace,
London SW1Y 5AG
On 25 November at 11.30am
GMT, UNEP in collaboration with researchers
will launch a report that outlines a package
of 16 measures which could reduce global
warming, avoid millions of premature deaths
and reduce global crop yield losses by tackling
black carbon, methane and ground-level ozone
- substances known as short-term climate
forcers.
Venue: The Conference
Room, The Royal Society, 6-9 Carlton House
Terrace, London, SW1Y 5AG
The 17th Conference
of the Parties to the UNFCCC will take place
in Durban from 28 November to 9 December
2011 http://unfccc.int
