Pre-Announcement: EU and South East Asia Experts meeting: Quantifying the benefits of biodiversity to the economy and society
Scientific experts meeting focusing on scientific matchmaking and identifying of topics of common interest to EU and SEA partners to drive increased participation in the FP7 programmes
Malaysia, November / December 2009
The Need for Research
The dramatic economic consequences of biodiversity loss are widely recognised but poorly understood and quantified. Biodiversity is the fundamental platform underpinning the ecosystem functions that support the ecosystem services critical to human well being. There is globally recognised urgency in understanding the linkages and the detailed role that biodiversity plays but the complexity involved requires a large scientific effort over a wide range of scales from molecular to regional. A variety of pressures resulting from population growth, changing diets, urbanisation, climate change and many other factors is causing biodiversity to decline and ecosystems are continuously being degraded. Worldwide habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation are operating on a massive scale, and are accelerating. The loss of biodiversity is not currently detected by our existing economic incentive system and can thus continue unabated.
A Co-ordinated EU – South East Asia response
Biodiversity loss has accelerated to an unprecedented level, both in Europe and South East Asia, as well as on a worldwide scale. It has been estimated that the current global extinction rate is 1000 to 10,000 times higher than the natural background extinction rate. Biodiversity change has direct impacts on human well-being, and will affect every society in every country around the world. The extent of our ultimate reliance on biodiversity is poorly understood. The genetic diversity within the natural world provides a resource that can positively contribute to human wellbeing. A co-ordinated international approach is essential to establish efficient ways to measure biodiversity and to maximise conservation and management of global eco-systems.
The EU hosts a unique set of natural diversity and South East Asia has one of the highest levels of biodiversity in the world. The rainforests of South East Asia are a massive global resource. However, many species are currently threatened. Habitat loss is particularly exceptional in South East Asia, which has the highest relative rate of deforestation of any major tropical region and could lose three quarters of its original forests by 2100 and up to 42% of its biodiversity.
A joint EU – South East Asia approach to the benefits of biodiversity will enable us to ascertain the true value of biodiversity to society – a crucial step towards creating a “currency for ecosystems.”
Objectives
- Identification of topics of common interest for EU and SEA partners to drive increased participation in FP7 programmes and further, create consortia;
- Take stock of existing and planned research projects and identify any issues that could be the subject of future collaborations;
- Identify the specific needs of each region and initiate actions to address these.
Organisers
The British High Commission, Singapore
The British High Commission, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
National Science and Technology Development Agency, Thailand
Print
Back to top
