A planet in peril: Biodiversity the key. (Reviews: Books).

WORLD ATLAS OF BIODIVERSITY

BRIAN GROOMBRIDGE & MARTIN D.JENKINS

Earthprint/University of California Press [pounds sterling]37.95

ISBN 0-520-23668-8

This Atlas is the first mapbased view of the world's living resources and so addresses the concern for living things and the environment. It provides a wealth of facts and figures on the importance of forests, wetlands, marine and coastal environments and other key ecosystems. The book also highlights humankind's impact on the natural world. It is the best current synthesis of the latest research and analysis by UNEP-WCMC and the conservation community world-wide providing a comprehensive and accessible view of key global issues in biodiversity.

Experts estimate that, at current extinction rates of plants and animals, the Earth is losing one major drug every two years. It is estimated that less than one per cent of the world's 250,000 tropical plants has been screened for potential pharmaceutical applications.

Eighty per cent of people in developing countries rely on medicines based largely on plants and animals. In the US alone, 56% of the top 150 prescribed drugs with an economic value of $80bn, are linked with discoveries made in the wild.

During the past 150 years, humans have directly impacted and altered close to 47 % of the global land area. Under one bleak scenario, biodiversity will be threatened on almost 72% of the land area by 2032. The Atlas reveals losses of biodiversity are likely to be particularly severe in South East Asia; Africa'' Congo basin and parts of the Amazon. As much as 48% of these areas will become converted to agricultural land, plantations and urban areas, compared with 22% today, suggesting wide depletions of biodiversity.

As UNEP's Executive Director, Klaus Toepfer, comments, wise use of the Earth's natural resources is at the heart of sustainable development. "Humankind now diverts about 40% of the Earth's productivity to its own ends, much of this is being carried out in a destructive and unsustainable way. It is vital that we reverse these unsustainable practises while at the same time taking advantages of the opportunities presented by the planet's natural capital, its natural wealth. You cannot tackle water, energy, health, agriculture, and ultimately poverty without the conservation, wise use and proper distribution of the many benefits arising from the living world.

"We must address the issue of genetic resource sharing by giving developing countries, where the majority of biodiversity remains, an economic incentive to protect wildlife by paying them properly for the plants and animals whose genes get used in new drugs or crops."

The value of wild resources to the pharmaceutical industry alone highlighted the pressing need for new and more imaginative ways of exploiting plants and animals so that the benefits are shared by all. The proper ad responsible use of the Earth's natural treasures could play a key role in reducing poverty. Biodiversity was, along with water, energy, health and agriculture, one of the five priority areas for the United Nations, as outlined by Secretary-General Kofi Annan at the World Summit in Johannesburg.

The new Atlas outlines some of the broad ecological relationships between humans and the rest of the material world and summarises information on the health of the planet. More specifically it shows how 'wilderness areas' are on the retreat as roads and urban centres spread into places like the Amazon basin, the Arctic and desert zones.

"There is little true wilderness left to support the expansion of the human population on this planet," says Brian Groombridge, co-author of the Atlas. "Over the last decade food supply has increased to meet the growing population through higher productivity (about 69%) and exploitation of wilderness (31%). But, with little wilderness area left, where will the additional capacity come from?"

"Globalisation and the pace of technological development are out-stripping our understanding of the impacts we are having on ecosystems-putting many basic services at risk, particularly for the poor' says Groombridge. "At the same, there is now enough evidence to show that we should take the precautionary approach and not interfere with the global processes that maintain our fishing, forestry, agriculture, health and climate."

BEYOND DOOM AND GLOOM SCENARIOS

The Atlas goes beyond doom and gloom scenarios and asks how irreversible current problems are. Pulling together the latest thinking on the subject it shows, through a scientific assessment of the entire range of living plants and animals, just how robust, resilient and accommodating biodiversity can be within limits.

By using maps to show the location of biodiversity, UNEP-WCMC draws together the work of researchers across the world who have identified particularly rich or vulnerable areas, including 'hot spots' and 'eco-regions'. These are regions where it is particularly important to identify development paths that can serve humankind without reducing nature's capital.

Mark Collins, UNEP-WCMC Director, stressed the vital role of ecosystems and how they interact to provide vital resources. As an example he cited the essential role of mountain regions as providers of freshwater. "If water sources are jeopardised then this impacts human activity downstream-people will not have clean water to drink or enough to water their crops, and fish supplies diminish or become extinct affecting the food supply chain and trading opportunities. Further down in the cities, power from hydroelectricity would be reduced, as would supplies of water for industrial washing, cooling and the manufacture of products. The net result is business failure, job loses and economic disaster. We know enough about the distribution of species and ecosystems to ensure that the world's biodiversity is managed effectively, said Collins. "Give nature half a chance and it will take care of itself" he said.

This Atlas' publication follows the highly successful publication of the World Atlas of Coral Reefs. Coral reefs rival even the tropical rainforests in terms of diversity and provide a critical source of food for millions of people. Encircling tropical islands, they provide protection from the worst ravages of tropical storms. They have also become a beloved destination for those seeking solace on tropical shores, or adventure, diving into the world of the coral reef, whilst providing a new source of income and employment for some of the world's most impoverished nations.

The companion volume is an invaluable resource for a broad audience ranging from global travellers to scientists, including all those with an interest in the natural history of coral reefs, resource managers, travel organisations and university students. The book would also specifically cater to the needs of amateur divers and boat owners as a key information resource.