What does "biodiversity loss" mean to you?
What kinds of situations come to mind when you see or hear "biodiversity loss"?
What do you want to know about "biodiversity loss"? Why?
「生物多様性」とは、単に動植物の種類が多いということだけを意味するものではなく、地球の長い歴史の中で育まれてきた生きものの相互のつながりをも指し示す言葉なのです。その相互のつながりのバランスが著しく損なわれることを、「生物多様性の損失」といいます。(WWFジャパン, 2023.03.08, はじめての『生物多様性』~今おさえておきたいポイントをわかりやすく簡単に解説)
国連環境計画(UNEP)は、生物多様性の喪失がすでに地域的・世界的な気候変動に著しく影響を及ぼしていると説明しています。自然生態系は気候の調節に重要な役割を果たし、炭素の隔離や貯蔵に役立つ一方で、森林の喪失や湿地の枯渇などの環境劣化が気候変動に著しく影響を与えています。UNEPによると、例えば、森林の伐採や劣化を減らし、生態系を再生する取り組みは、温室効果ガスの年間排出量の削減に寄与する可能性があります。(国際連合広報センター, 2022.12.23, COP27 : 生物多様性を守ることは、パリ協定を守ること(UN News 記事・日本語訳)
…現在、生息地の環境破壊、気候変動、外来種の侵入などが原因で、生物多様性は深刻な状況に陥っており、多くの種が絶滅の危機に瀕している。生物多様性の喪失および生態系バランスの乱れは、地球の生命システムの維持を揺るがし、私たち人類の存続を脅かすものでもあることから、国際的に手を組み対策が推進されている。(PATCH THE WORLD, 2024.04.10, 生物多様性とは?生物多様性の喪失がもたらす問題点や国家の対策、私たちができる取り組みを紹介)
1. Biodiversity loss: "“a decrease in biodiversity within a species, an ecosystem, a given geographic area, or Earth as a whole.” (Britannica, 30 January 2025, biodiversity loss)
2. “Through intense human activities, such as land-use change, overexploitation, climate change, pollution and the introduction of invasive species, we are causing an extinction acceleration that is at least tens to hundreds of times faster than it otherwise would have been.” (United Nations University, 16 May 2024, Understanding Humanity’s Role in Biodiversity Loss: 5 Elements of Accelerating Species Extinctions)
3. “Biodiversity is in trouble… and its loss can refer to local and worldwide extinctions. Species and ecosystems can be fragile, so small changes can have large consequences. The causes of biodiversity loss are complicated, and the human population is making the problems worse. Humans are increasingly disrupting the balance of biodiversity. Among the top drivers of biodiversity loss are land use change, exploitation of wildlife (through fishing, logging and hunting), pollution and our influence on climate.” (Natural History Museum, no date, What is biodiversity and why does its loss matter?)
Japan: In Hokkaido, ‘sea of mega solar farms’ threatens protected park (The Asahi Shimbun, 12 January 2025)
日本: 地球温暖化で農業にも変化 宮城・山元町で日本最北のミカン栽培 (knb東日本放送, 2023.01.12)
日本: 海水温1℃上昇は『激変』 漁師も不安を感じる福岡の海「極端に減った魚も…」 いま陸上でウニやサーモンを養殖するワケ(福岡TNCニュース, 2023.06.16)
Japan: Marine plastic waste in Japan and how we can stop it (Zenbird, 21 June 2020)
Australia: Wildlife groups warn Australia's summer fires are threatening vulnerable species (ABC, 25 February 2024)
Brazil: More than 800m Amazon trees felled in six years to meet beef demand (The Guardian, 2 June 2023)
France: Citizen activists take on 'destructive' solar power plants in France's Provence region (France 24, 3 June 2024)
Worldwide: Rewilding the city: Green spaces that run free (Deutsche Welle, 14 July 2020)
Biodiversity: Why the nature crisis matters, in five graphics (BBC, 30 September 2020)
Lights out in cities: Why we need darkness (Deutsche Welle, 12 September 2022)
Photo essay: the joy of being in wilderness (The Wilderness Society, 6 March 2023)
What is the Biodiversity Crisis? (Earth Justice, 31 March 2021)
What Are The Consequence Of Biodiversity Loss? (Earth.org, 24 August 2024)
What is biodiversity? [Video 3:00] (Natural History Museum, 22 May 2020)
People Need Biodiversity [Video 4:53] (Conservation International, 28 October 2020)
Biodiversity explained [Video 3:08] (Lund University, 16 December 2022)
How scientist and countries work to recover lost biodiversity [Video 7:07] (Deutsche Welle, 22 October 2024)
Ecological Corridors : Nature-based solution for climate change [Video 1:54] (Quebec Ecological Corridors Initiative, 29 June 2021)
How loss of biodiversity threatens human health [Video 5:45] (Natural History Museum, 7 April 2023)
Examples of local action in Japanese society
子どもたちに感動と体験の環境教育を 里山で孫と歩む震災からの再建 能登の「ケロンの小さな村」(朝日新聞, 2024/10/21)
ふくおかの海と人をつなぐ (Fukuoka FUN - Field and Underwater Naturalists, no date)
Growing Green Futures: How Youth are Leading Japan’s Forest Revival with Tochigi Conservation Corps (Yamathon, 8 October 2024)
Examples of local action in other societies
Biodiversity online: Virtual exhibition (Oxford University Museum of Natural History, no date)
Enhancing public awareness of biodiversity and environmental protection (Taiwan Today, 27 May 2022)
Vancouver, Canada: Biodiversity Strategy (City of Vancouver, 2023)