8.8 BIODIVERSITY & SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Article 2 of the Convention on Biological Diversity defines biodiversity; Article 1 sets out its three main objectives, which are the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources. A key word in this statement is sustainable. What does it mean? A short definition is 'the capacity for indefinite continuance'; in other words, a sustainable activity is one that is being practiced today and is able to be continued in the future. Clearing forest at the rate of 10 hectares each day is not sustainable, as sooner or later we will run out of forest to cut. Hunting wild animals is frequently unsustainable, mainly because the population starts to decline when the rate of removal by killing exceeds the rate at which the animals breed. However, such hunting can be sustainable if we removal animals from the population at a rate that is lower than the breeding rate.

In more general terms, an activity is sustainable if practice of that activity now does not affect the ability of people to carry out that activity in the future. So, hunting today is sustainable only if we hunt at a level that ensures sufficient animals are saved to allow our children (and future generations) to hunt also.

An example of unsustainable use is the global practice of marine fisheries, and it is generally accepted that about two-thirds of the stocks are being exploited at or above the maximum rates at which they can replace themselves naturally. Recognition of this problem has yet to result in effective measures to address it!

A key point is that the conservation of biodiversity requires continuance of species, populations, habitats and ecosystems from one human generation to the next. When development proceeds in a sustainable fashion, it permits such continuance. Thus the persistence of biodiversity is an indication that development is sustainable; a decline in biodiversity is a warning that development is unsustainable.