Millennium Ecosystem Assessment.The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) is a research program that focuses on ecosystem changes over the course of decades, and projecting those changes into the future. It was launched in 2001 with support from the United Nations by the UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. (MA) is the largest assessment to date of the health of the world's ecosystems. Launched in 2001 by United Nations (UN) secretary-general Kofi Annan Kofi Atta Annan (born April 8, 1938) is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations from January 1 1997 to January 1 2007, serving two five-year terms. He was the co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001. and authorized au·thor·ize tr.v. au·thor·ized, au·thor·iz·ing, au·thor·iz·es 1. To grant authority or power to. 2. To give permission for; sanction: by governments through four international conventions, the MA is intended as a tool to inform decision makers and the public. The documents flowing forth from this work, which was completed in March 2005, have been prepared by 1,360 experts from 95 countries, with an 80-person independent board of review editors. The documents draw on information gathered from the scientific literature, existing data sets, and scientific models, and incorporate knowledge gleaned from the private sector, workers in the field, indigenous peoples The term indigenous peoples has no universal, standard or fixed definition, but can be used about any ethnic group who inhabit the geographic region with which they have the earliest historical connection. , and local communities. Information about the MA, as well as the documents it has released, are available online at http://www.millenniumassessment.org/. The findings of the MA are grim. Over the past 50 years, humans have changed ecosystems faster and more extensively than during any other comparable time period in human history. These rapid changes have grown out of increasing demands for natural goods and services In economics, economic output is divided into physical goods and intangible services. Consumption of goods and services is assumed to produce utility (unless the "good" is a "bad"). It is often used when referring to a Goods and Services Tax. , such as food, fresh water, timber, fiber, and fuel. The MA also finds that ecosystem changes have brought about substantial gains in human well-being and in economic development, but that these gains have come at the cost of degrading TO DEGRADE, DEGRADING. To, sink or lower a person in the estimation of the public. 2. As a man's character is of great importance to him, and it is his interest to retain the good opinion of all mankind, when he is a witness, he cannot be compelled to disclose ecosystem services Humankind benefits from a multitude of resources and processes that are supplied by natural ecosystems. Collectively, these benefits are known as ecosystem services and include products like clean drinking water and processes like the decomposition of wastes. and increasing poverty for some groups of people. The report predicts that ecosystem change could accelerate during the next 50 years and contribute to nonachievement of the UN Millennium Development Goals “MDG” redirects here. For other uses, see MDG (disambiguation). The Millennium Development Goals are eight goals that 192 United Nations member states have agreed to try to achieve by the year 2015. . Yet, there is some hope that this situation can still be reversed, and the report sets forth options for improving ecosystems by 2050. These fall under three scenarios: "Global Orchestration orchestration Art of choosing which instruments to use for a given piece of music. The sections of the orchestra historically were separate ensembles: the stringed instruments for indoors, the woodwind instruments for outdoors, the horns for hunting, and trumpets and drums ," "Adapting Mosaic," and "TechnoGarden." The Global Orchestration scenario reflects a globally connected society focused on international trade and economic liberalization Economic liberalization is a broad term that usually refers to less government regulations and restrictions in the economy in exchange for greater participation of private entities; the doctrine is associated with neoliberalism. that also takes strong steps to reduce problems such as poverty and inequality and to invest in public infrastructure and education. The Adapting Mosaic scenario focuses on local-scale activities, and investments in human and social capital emphasize education to bring about a better understanding of the nature of ecosystems. At the core of the TechnoGarden scenario is the use of technology and highly managed, often engineered ecosystems to deliver ecosystem services. A fourth scenario, "Order from Strength," emphasizes heightened security and a fragmented society, to the detriment of the environment. The MA homepage provides the latest news related to the project, while links along the right side of the page access the numerous partners in the MA. These partners include the UN Development Programme, the UN Environment Programme, the World Bank, multiple universities, and others. The Reports section of the site provides links to the major documents produced by the MA. Each report can be downloaded for free in English and several other languages; there is also information on how to order printed copies. The Resources section assembles slide presentations, figures, tables, maps, posters, logos, and brochures that can be used by the media. All are available to download for free. The About the MA section of the website provides a thorough history of how the work came about, how it was funded, how it was undertaken, and how it may continue in the future. This section also includes a page devoted to the many subregional assessments that are being carried out in conjunction with the MA. Links to each provide details of the areas covered by the assessments, the institutions carrying out the assessments, the features of the ecosystem being assessed, key features of the assessments, and the time frame and budget for the work. |
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