The Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) has released its “Assessment Report on Invasive Alien Species and their Control.” This comprehensive study, conducted over four years by 86 experts from 49 countries, analyzes the impact of alien species on biodiversity. The report reveals that there are over 37,000 introduced alien species, with more than 3,500 posing significant global threats to nature, economy, food security, and human health. Invasive alien species are a leading driver of biodiversity loss, responsible for 60% of global plant and animal extinctions and costing over $400 billion annually.
Facts/Terms for UPSC Prelims
- IPBES (Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services): An independent intergovernmental body established to strengthen the science-policy interface for biodiversity and ecosystem services, aiming to promote conservation, sustainable use of biodiversity, human well-being, and sustainable development. IPBES operates independently but is supported by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
- Invasive Alien Species (IAS): Species introduced by human activities to regions and biomes worldwide. These species can threaten biodiversity, the economy, food security, and human health when they establish and spread in new ecosystems, becoming known as invasive alien species.
- Biodiversity Loss: The reduction in the variety and abundance of species in a particular habitat, region, or globally. It is primarily driven by factors like habitat destruction, pollution, overexploitation, and the introduction of invasive alien species.
- Global Economic Cost: The financial impact of invasive alien species on economies worldwide, which has quadrupled every decade since 1970 due to increased global trade and human travel. In 2019, it exceeded $423 billion annually, affecting agriculture, fisheries, and more.
- Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework: An international agreement to reduce the rate of introduction and establishment of invasive alien species by at least 50% by 2030, adopted by governments in December 2022 to address the challenge of invasive species on a global scale.