Climate science is monopolized, so is conservation science

Knowledge from indigenous scholars and communities plays a crucial role in managing global ecosystems and biodiversity conservation. As such, it is stipulated as Target 18 of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets.

How is People's Awareness of “Biodiversity” Measured ?Using Sentiment Analysis and LDA Topic Modeling in the Twitter Discourse Space from 2010 to 2020

The importance of biodiversity conservation is gradually being recognized worldwide, and 2020 was the final year of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets formulated at the 10th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP10) in 2010. Unfortunately, the majority of the targets were assessed as unachievable. While it is essential to measure public awareness of biodiversity when setting the post-2020 targets, it is also a difficult task to propose a method to do so. This study provides a diachronic exploration of the discourse on “biodiversity” from 2010 to 2020, using Twitter posts, in combination with sentiment analysis and topic modeling, which are commonly used in data science. Through the aggregation and comparison of n-grams, the visualization of eight types of emotional tendencies using the NRC emotion lexicon, the construction of topic models using Latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA), and the qualitative analysis of tweet texts based on these models, I was able to classify and analyze unstructured tweets in a meaningful way. The results revealed the evolution of words used with “biodiversity” on Twitter over the past decade, the emotional tendencies behind the contexts in which “biodiversity” has been used, and the approximate content of tweet texts that have constituted topics with distinctive characteristics. While the search for people's awareness through SNS analysis still has many limitations, it is undeniable that important suggestions can be obtained. In order to further refine the research method, it will be essential to improve the skills of analysts and accumulate research examples as well as to advance data science.

How is People's Awareness of “Biodiversity” Measured ?Using Sentiment Analysis and LDA Topic Modeling in the Twitter Discourse Space from 2010 to 2020

The importance of biodiversity conservation is gradually being recognized worldwide, and 2020 was the final year of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets formulated at the 10th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP10) in 2010. Unfortunately, the majority of the targets were assessed as unachievable. While it is essential to measure public awareness of biodiversity when setting the post-2020 targets, it is also a difficult task to propose a method to do so. This study provides a diachronic exploration of the discourse on “biodiversity” from 2010 to 2020, using Twitter posts, in combination with sentiment analysis and topic modeling, which are commonly used in data science. Through the aggregation and comparison of n-grams, the visualization of eight types of emotional tendencies using the NRC emotion lexicon, the construction of topic models using Latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA), and the qualitative analysis of tweet texts based on these models, I was able to classify and analyze unstructured tweets in a meaningful way. The results revealed the evolution of words used with “biodiversity” on Twitter over the past decade, the emotional tendencies behind the contexts in which “biodiversity” has been used, and the approximate content of tweet texts that have constituted topics with distinctive characteristics. While the search for people's awareness through SNS analysis still has many limitations, it is undeniable that important suggestions can be obtained. In order to further refine the research method, it will be essential to improve the skills of analysts and accumulate research examples as well as to advance data science.

Conservation, Restoration, and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity Based on Habitat Quality Monitoring: A Case Study on Jeju Island, South Korea (1989–2019)

Biodiversity loss is progressing despite biodiversity being essential for human survival, prosperity, and well-being. Conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of the habitat, given that its change is the most prominent factor causing the deterioration of biodiversity, represents a highly effective way of securing biodiversity. Therefore, we assessed and monitored habitat quality as a proxy for biodiversity with habitat quantity in Jeju Island, South Korea. We used an InVEST model with data on the habitat type, suitability, sensitivity, accessibility, and threat factors. Natural habitats throughout Jeju had rapidly decreased in area by 24.9% from 1989 to 2019, and this change contributed to the degradation of habitat quality by 15.8%. We provided significant evidence on the critical degradation of habitat for a long period of over 30 years and highlighted the urgent need for policies and behaviors that enhance biodiversity. We proposed appropriate strategies to prompt people to conserve better, restore effectively, and use biodiversity sustainably. We expect that our findings will provide scientific and evidence-based guidance for policy-making on biodiversity enhancement and will further support achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and Aichi Biodiversity Targets, in addition to compliance with the New Deal for Nature and People.

Global and regional health and food security in a Half Earth world

Global biodiversity is rapidly declining and goals to halt biodiversity loss, such as the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, have not been achieved. To avoid further biodiversity loss and aid recovery some have argued for the protection of 50% or 30% of the Earth’s terrestrial land surface. We use a state of the art global land use model, LandSyMM, to assess global and regional human health and food security outcomes when potential area based strategies for conserving biodiversity are modelled. We find diet and weight changes in strictly enforced 30% and 50% land protection scenarios, cause an additional 5.1 million deaths in 2060. At a regional level, South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa experience high levels of underweight-related mortality, causing an additional 200,000 deaths in these regions alone. Developed regions in contrast are less affected by protection measures. Our results highlight that radical measures to protect areas of biodiversity value may jeopardise food security and human health in the most vulnerable regions of the world.

National aichi biodiversity target 1-an assessment in India

The Aichi Biodiversity Targets are a set of twenty targets of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) that were developed to prevent the loss of biological diversity in each participating country and measure the progress towards its conservation. Since India is a signatory to CBD, the country developed a set of twelve national targets in alignment with these twenty Aichi targets aimed to conserve biodiversity. The very first target of twelve Indian targets that were set to be achieved by 2020 was about making people aware of the values of biodiversity within ten years. This article outlines the Aichi National target one and the progress made by India towards the achievement of Aichi-12.

Assessing the progress and pitfalls of the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change in achieving SDGs in Bangladesh

The study strived to assess the performance of the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change in achieving environmental sustainability in Bangladesh. The overarching pitfalls, shortcomings, and associated challenges were critically examined. The research used both primary and secondary data, which was collected following several research approaches. It was found that the Ministry is actively working to achieve 25 targets of SDGs. Nothing is mentioned about climate change in its mandates though it is nodal Ministry in climate adaptation and mitigation. Due to its ambiguous and viscous mandates, jurisdictional overlapping followed by the conflict of interests has been created in many other ministries and divisions. In SDGs mapping, this Ministry's role in achieving food security and responsible consumption have been downplayed. According to key informants' perception, it could not garner the community’s support in conservation initiatives. On the other hand, due to drawbacks in the legal framework, environmental justice could be ensured on an equal basis. No noticeable activities were observed that can achieve the targets 2020, agreed under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), as part of the set of Aichi Biodiversity Targets. The Ministry could not establish any reliable database through which ecological, carbon, and green footprints can be measured. Correspondingly, Bangladesh Forest Research Institute cannot carry out need-based and world standard research activities. Institutional and legal reform is advocated to expedite the actions to achieve environmental sustainability. The study recommends enhancing the capacity of the Ministry.

Safeguarding Free-Flowing Rivers: The Global Extent of Free-Flowing Rivers in Protected Areas

Approximately one-third of long rivers remain free-flowing, and rivers face a range of ongoing and future threats. In response, there is a heightened call for actions to reverse the freshwater biodiversity crisis, including through formal global targets for protection. The Aichi Biodiversity Targets called for the protection of 17% of inland water areas by 2020. Here, we examine the levels and spatial patterns of protection for a specific type of inland water area—rivers designated as free-flowing. Out of a global total of 11.7 million kilometers of rivers, 1.9 million kilometers (16%) are within protected areas and 10.1 million kilometers are classified as free-flowing, with 1.7 M kilometers of the free-flowing kilometers (17%) within protected areas. Thus, at the global level, the proportion of rivers in protected areas is just below the Aichi Target, and the proportion of free-flowing rivers within protected areas equals that target. However, the extent of protection varies widely across river basins, countries, and continents, and many of these geographic units have a level of protection far lower than the target. Further, high discharge mainstem rivers tend to have lower extent of protection. We conclude by reviewing the limitations of measuring river protection by the proportion of river kilometers within protected areas and describe a range of mechanisms that can provide more effective protection. We also propose a set of recommendations for a more comprehensive quantification of global river protection.

The Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework must safeguard the Tree of Life

Following our failure to fully achieve any of the 20 Aichi biodiversity targets, the future of biodiversity rests in the balance. The Convention on Biological Diversity's Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) presents us with the opportunity to preserve Nature's Contributions to People (NCPs) for current and future generations through conserving biodiversity and averting extinction across the Tree of Life. Here we demonstrate that species extinctions can lead to unequal losses of biodiversity depending on their evolutionary history, and call attention to our need to conserve the Tree of Life to maintain its benefits. We highlight two indicators available for adoption in the post-2020 GBF to monitor our progress towards safeguarding the Tree of Life. The Phylogenetic Diversity indicator, adopted by IPBES, can be used to monitor biodiversity's capacity to maintain NCPs. The EDGE (Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered) Index monitors how well we are performing at averting the greatest losses across the Tree of Life by conserving the most distinctive species. By committing to safeguarding the Tree of Life post-2020, we can reduce biodiversity loss and preserve nature's contributions to humanity now and into the future.

LAND USE AND LAND DEGRADATION ISSUES IN THE CONTEXT OF THE UNESCO “MAN & BIOSPHERE” PROGRAMME

A brief historical overview of approaches to study the problem of land use and land degradation in the MAB UNESCO program is provided. Over the past 50 years these issues remain important although the general strategic approach to their research and solving has changed from a multilateral study of land management and land degradation in different geographic and socio-economic conditions with an emphasis on natural diversity, to practices and approaches of sustainable land management in biosphere reserves, as reflected in MAB Strategy (2015-2025) and Lima Action Plan (2016-2025). Many of the MAB initiatives in the field of sustainable land management and combating land degradation have been further reflected and revised in different international programs and conventions. The development of these approaches and the integration of the MAB program with other modern activities can significantly increase the effectiveness of the results of Strategic Direction “A” of the Lima Action Plan on the use of UNESCO Biosphere Reserves as models for sustainable development. Five objectives are proposed for closer cooperation of the MAB program and its network of biosphere reserves with other international and national measures for promoting sustainable land management practices and combating land degradation: 1) using biosphere reserves as priority sites and observatories for comparative assessments of indicators of land degradation neutrality (LDN) for protected areas and adjacent territories in similar bioclimatic conditions; 2) use of data obtained through the series of observations in the territory of protected areas as the most important additional or alternative indicators and measures for the LDN interpretation; 3) biosphere reserves as models for selecting effective solutions reflecting the triad of adaptive actions to avoid degradation, reduce the rate of degradation and restore previously degraded lands; 4) achieving LDN on the territory of biosphere reserves through the implementation of the Aichi biodiversity targets; 5) the use of LDN as a criterion for evaluating the effectiveness of the activities of biosphere reserves. Preliminary results of the LDN assessment for Central Chernozem State Natural Biosphere Reserve and Middle Volga Integrated Biosphere Reserve and their adjacent territories provided to demonstrate the possibility of performing some of the objectives listed.