An ever-growing demand for resources by a growing population is putting tremendous pressures on our planet’s biodiversity and is threatening South Africa’s future security, health and well-being. That’s according to the 2012 edition of WWF’s Living Planet Report (LPR) – the leading biennial survey of the Earth’s health.
“We are living as if we have an extra planet at our disposal. We are using 50% more resources than the Earth can sustainably produce and unless we change course, that number will grow fast – by 2030 even two planets will not be enough,” said Dr Morné du Plessis, CEO of WWF South Africa (WWF-SA).
The LPR uses the global Living Planet Index (LPI) to measure changes in the health of the planet’s ecosystems by tracking 9,000 populations of more than 2,600 species. The global Index shows almost a 30% decrease since 1970, with the tropics the hardest hit – where there has been a 60% decline in less than 40 years. Just as biodiversity is on a downward trend, the Earth’s Ecological Footprint, one of the other key indicators used in the report, illustrates how our demand on natural resources has become unsustainable.
The difference between rich and poor countries is also underlined in the report. High income countries have an Ecological Footprint on average five times that of low-income countries.
The 10 countries with the biggest Ecological Footprint per person in the world are Qatar, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Denmark, the United States of America, Belgium, Australia, Canada, the Netherlands and Ireland.
Yet according to the global Living Planet Index, declines in biodiversity since 1970 have been most rapid in the lower income countries – demonstrating how the poorest and most vulnerable nations are subsidising the lifestyles of wealthier countries. Decreasing biocapacity (a region’s capacity to regenerate resources) will require a country to import essential resources from foreign ecosystems – potentially to the long-term detriment of the latter.
“We can create more just and equitable societies – providing food, water and energy for all – through the sustainable management of the Earth’s natural capital. The loss of biodiversity and its related ecosystem services particularly impacts the poor, who rely most directly on nature to survive – particularly for their food, said Du Plessis”.
The top 10 countries in Africa with the biggest Ecological Footprint per person are: Mauritius, Mauritania, Botswana, South Africa, Egypt, Namibia, Tunisia, Chad, Mali and Gabon.
South Africa has an Ecological Footprint of 2.59 per person per hectare, of which the biggest component is due to our large carbon footprint. The term Ecological Footprint refers to a measure of how much biologically productive land and water an individual, population or activity requires to produce all the resources it consumes, and to absorb the waste it generates, using prevailing technology and resource management practices. The Ecological Footprint is usually measured in global hectares (gha).
Rising consumption in high-income groups around the world and BRIICS (Brazil, Russia, India, Indonesia, China and South Africa) countries, combined with growing population numbers, provide warning signs of the potential for even larger footprints in future. The human population is forecast to reach 7.8-10.9 billion people by 2050, with a medium estimate of just over 9.3 billion.
The rapid economic growth of the BRIICS group merits special attention when looking at the Ecological Footprint and the pressure on biocapacity. This term refers to the capacity of ecosystems to produce useful biological materials and absorb waste materials generated by humans. It is measured in global hectares. The BRIICS economies have increased their per capita footprint by 65% since 1961. These countries are expanding more rapidly than high-income countries and face increased sustainability challenges.
However, there are solutions for living within the means of one planet: the “One Planet” perspective. Du Plessis explained: “In order to reverse the declining LPI; bring the Ecological Footprint down to within planetary limits; avoid dangerous climate change; and achieve sustainable development, a fundamental reality must be embedded as the basis of economies, business models and lifestyles: the Earth’s natural capital – biodiversity, ecosystems and ecosystem services – is limited.”
The Living Planet Report outlines a number of solutions needed to reverse the declining Living Planet Index and bring the Ecological Footprint down to within planetary limits. These are set out as 16 priority actions, and include improved consumption patterns, putting an economic value on natural capital, and creating legal and policy frameworks that manage equitable access to food, water and energy.
“We can create a prosperous future that provides food, water and energy for the 9 or perhaps 10 billion people who will be sharing the planet in 2050,” concluded du Plessis. “Solutions lie in such areas as reducing wasteful consumption, smarter water management and using renewable sources of energy that are clean and abundant – such as wind and sunlight.”
For more information or to download the report go to www.wwf.org.za