The latest comprehensive report by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), associated with various UN agencies (UNEP, UNDP, Unesco, FAO), is a stark reminder of where we really need to focus.
Sir Robert Watson, the IPBES chair, summarized the report by stating: “The health of ecosystems on which we and all other species depend is deteriorating more rapidly than ever. We are eroding the very foundations of our economies, livelihoods, food security, health and quality of life worldwide.”
One alarming indicator of the new path we’re treading is that over 80% of global wastewater is discharged untreated into the environment and between 300 and 400 million tons of heavy metals, solvents, toxic sludge, and other wastes from industrial facilities are dumped annually into the world’s waters. We are obviously heavily reliant on water both for our own use and consumption but also to support vital ecosystems. We have a lot of changes to make.
