Invasive species cost society over $2.8 trillion in damages, study shows
Farmers harvest corn in Jiayuguan, in China's Gansu province. Invasive wild hogs can cause agricultural damage to crops, cornfields and vineyards. PHOTO: REUTERS
PARIS - From river-clogging plants to disease-carrying insects, the direct economic cost of invasive species worldwide has averaged about US$35 billion (S$45 billion) a year for decades, researchers said on May 26.
Since 1960, damage from non-native plants and animals expanding into new territory has cost society more than US$2.2 trillion (S$2.8 trillion), 17 times higher than previous estimates, they reported in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution.
The accelerating spread of invasive species – from mosquitoes to wild boar to tough-to-eradicate plants – blights agriculture, spreads disease and drives the growing pace of species extinction.
Earlier calculations based on highly incomplete data were already known to fall far short of reality.
To piece together a more accurate picture, an international team of researchers led by Professor Ismael Soto, a scientist at the University of South Bohemia in the Czech Republic, compiled data on 162 invasive species whose costs have been well documented in at least a handful of countries.
They then modelled the economic impact for 78 other countries such as Bangladesh and Costa Rica, for which no data was previously available.
'We expected an underestimation of invasion costs, but the magnitude was striking,' Prof Soto told AFP.
Due mainly to high volumes of trade and travel, tens of thousands of animal and plant species have taken root, sometimes literally, far from their places of origin.
Europe is by far the continent most affected by the phenomenon, followed by North America and Asia.
'Plants were the most economically damaging group, both for damage and management,' Prof Soto said. 'Cost hotspots include urban coastal areas, notably in Europe, eastern China, and the US.'
Animals can cause devastating damage too.
Wild boar, for example, destroy crops, cornfields and vineyards, while mosquitoes – with expanding ranges due to global warming – impose direct costs to human health by spreading diseases such as dengue and malaria.
Another example is Japanese knotweed, an invasive plant that is very common in Europe and requires costly eradication programmes.
'Our study is based on only 162 species,' Prof Soto noted. 'Our figure is probably still an underestimate of a wider problem, and therefore the real economic costs could be even higher.'
Using a broader definition – including indirect costs such as lost income – the UN's biodiversity expert group, IPBES, has calculated the total cost to society of invasive species at about US$400 billion annually. AFP
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
11 hours ago
- Straits Times
China rolls out major reforms ahead of gaokao, its national college entrance exam
High school students prepare for the National College Entrance Examination, known as gaokao, in Fuyang, Anhui, on May 27. PHOTO: AFP China's national college entrance exam, known as gaokao, will take place from June 7 to 10 and feature several new developments, including the roll-out of exam reforms in eight additional provinces, expanded university enrolment and the launch of new academic majors. In 2025, eight more provincial-level regions will implement the gaokao reforms: Sichuan, Henan, Shanxi, Yunnan, Shaanxi, Qinghai and the Ningxia Hui and Inner Mongolia autonomous regions. So far, 29 provinces have adopted the reforms. Under the reforms, candidates must take three nationally standardised subjects – Chinese, mathematics and a foreign language – along with one primary elective subject, either physics or history, and two additional electives selected from chemistry, geography, political science and biology. Professor Xiong Bingqi, director of the 21st Century Education Research Institute, said the reforms, launched in 2014, have provided students with greater flexibility in subject selection and aim to place more emphasis on students' individuality and personal interests while establishing a more comprehensive and multi-dimensional evaluation system. 'However, the issue of solely relying on test scores persists. It is necessary to strengthen the reform of comprehensive quality evaluation,' Prof Xiong said. Many universities have expanded enrolment plans in 2025, including Tsinghua University, Peking University and Shanghai Jiao Tong University. The additional spots, ranging from dozens to several hundred, are primarily concentrated in fundamental disciplines such as mathematics, physics and chemistry, as well as in strategic and cutting-edge fields. Xi'an Jiaotong University in Shaanxi province has been expanding its enrolment over the past decade and plans to add 200 more spots in 2025, according to Professor Cao Liangzhi, director of the university's admissions office. 'The focus is primarily on emerging technology industries and fields geared towards the future,' Prof Cao said. 'In response to technological and industrial transformation and upgrading, we aim to cultivate more high-quality talent.' In 2025, China's college admissions introduced 29 new undergraduate majors across fields such as artificial intelligence, carbon neutrality and digital governance. According to the Ministry of Education, these new programmes are designed to align with national strategic priorities, market demands and technological advancements. Beijing Jiaotong University has added five undergraduate majors in fields of national strategic demand, including data science and big data technology, robotics engineering, intelligent manufacturing engineering, intelligent vehicle engineering, and international journalism and communication. The Beijing Institute of Technology has introduced a low-altitude technology and engineering major, focusing on cultivating top-tier talent to meet the strategic needs of low-altitude economic development. Universities are adjusting their programmes to align with social development and meet societal needs, according to Prof Xiong. Around 13.35 million students have registered for 2025's gaokao, a decrease of 70,000 compared with 2024 and marking the first decline in a decade, according to data released by the ministry. The decline in exam candidates is primarily due to a decrease in vocational college entrance exam participants, who are no longer required to take the gaokao, Prof Xiong explained. However, the number of candidates for the regular gaokao has increased, he said. 'It is hoped that universities will expand enrolment based on their unique conditions and strengths, focusing not only on increasing numbers but also on improving quality,' Prof Xiong said. CHINA DAILY/ASIA NEWS NETWORK Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
AsiaOne
14 hours ago
- AsiaOne
Japan's ispace counts down to second moon-landing attempt on Friday, Asia News
TOKYO — Japanese startup ispace aims to become the first non-US company to achieve a controlled moon landing as it prepares for the touchdown of its second uncrewed spacecraft on Friday (June 6), two years after its inaugural mission ended in failure. Tokyo-based ispace hopes to join US firms Intuitive Machines and Firefly Aerospace, which have accomplished commercial landings since last year amid an intensifying global race for the moon that includes state-run missions from China and India. The mission also highlights broad public- and private-sector expectations from Japan, which remains committed to lunar exploration as part of Nasa's Artemis moon programme, despite mounting uncertainty about its future as President Donald Trump reshapes US space policies. "A moon landing is not a dream but it has become a reality," ispace CEO Takeshi Hakamada has said. The company's first lunar lander in April 2023 crashed onto the moon's surface due to a software issue that incorrectly assessed its altitude during descent over precipitous terrain. Its second lander, named Resilience, in January shared a SpaceX rocket launch with Firefly's Blue Ghost lander. Blue Ghost took a faster trajectory to the moon and touched down successfully in March. Currently circling about 100km above the lunar surface, Resilience carries a rover built by ispace's Luxembourg subsidiary and payloads worth a total of US$16 million (S$21 million), including scientific instruments from Japanese firms and a Taiwanese university. After Friday's landing on Mare Frigoris, a lunar sea relatively close to the moon's north pole, scheduled for 4.17am Japan time (3.17am Singapore time), the 2.3m high lander and the microwave-sized rover are tasked to capture images of regolith, the moon's fine-grained surface material. If successful, ispace said it will transfer the ownership of the collected material to Nasa to fulfil what it says would be the world's first commercial transaction of lunar resources. According to a 2020 Nasa statement, ispace's Japan and Luxembourg units would each receive $5,000 under this arrangement. Nasa was not immediately able to comment on the impact of the Trump administration's proposed budget reductions on the contract. An ispace spokesperson declined to comment. Japan's lunar enthusiasm The company envisions establishing a lunar colony of 1,000 inhabitants by the 2040s, tapping the moon's water resources. It plans seven more missions in the US and Japan through 2029, including a Nasa-sponsored one as part of the Artemis programme, to capitalise on increasing demands for lunar transportation. About a dozen corporate partners have provided support for ispace missions, including titanium materials from Citizen Watch and design expertise from automaker Suzuki. In Japan, a wide range of businesses from construction firms to carmakers engage in lunar exploration research, and the breadth of industrial interest in the moon may surpass that in the United States, said Atsushi Uchida, Research Director at Mitsubishi Research Institute. The government has been keen to promote Japan's roles in the Artemis programme, signing an agreement with Nasa last year to include two Japanese astronauts and a Toyota-built rover in forthcoming missions to the lunar surface. Exploration of the moon and Mars is one of the key objectives of Japan's newly-established multibillion-dollar space venture fund. "Having ispace, a domestic transportation option, is a huge advantage for Japanese businesses and universities that foray into lunar exploration using government funds," said Ritsumeikan University professor Kazuto Saiki, who participated in Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's (Jaxa) SLIM mission that achieved Japan's first lunar landing last year. Jaxa President Hiroshi Yamakawa said last month that he was rooting for ispace's re-attempt because their "success will attract attention to the whole Japanese space industry". Investors are keen. Shares in ispace, which made a blistering market debut in 2023 but languished after the landing failure, have risen about 60 per cent year-to-date, epitomising a space startup boom in the Japanese capital market. [[nid:674994]]
Straits Times
16 hours ago
- Straits Times
ADHD feels like it's everywhere? Researchers see no upswell
The disorder, with symptoms such as a short attention span and restlessness, has received widespread attention in recent years. PHOTO: REUTERS ADHD feels like it's everywhere? Researchers see no upswell LONDON – ADHD may seem like it's everywhere at the moment, but researchers found its prevalence hasn't changed much in recent years. A review by King's College London's Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience found that the proportion of people with a medical diagnosis for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder didn't increase meaningfully between 2020 and 2024. The findings published on June 5 are based on four studies only, due to the poor quality of most of the others reviewed by the researchers. The disorder, with symptoms such as a short attention span and restlessness, has received widespread attention in recent years. The scientists called for more research to guide clinical practice and public-health policy. 'The media has been concerned about a 'surge' in ADHD diagnoses for several years,' said Dr Alex Martin, a psychology lecturer at King's College London and one of the study's authors. 'While assessments and help-seeking may be increasing, our study has shown significant gaps in the tracking of ADHD prevalence, resulting in a frustratingly unclear picture.' More people are getting checked for ADHD, which the scientists suggested 'may be reflective of a societal change in the way the condition is conceptualised.' Social media posts and engagement could have contributed to the increased demand as it helped reduce stigma, Dr Philip Shaw, a professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at King's College who didn't participate in the study, said on a conference call regarding the findings. How social media influences brain function is also unknown. While research is ongoing, it's too early to determine whether platforms including Instagram and TikTok contribute to the development of ADHD, according to Dr Shaw. Scientists don't yet know for certain if social media use is driving some symptoms of inattention, Dr Shaw said, or whether children susceptible to distraction 'are exactly the ones who are going online and multitasking.' BLOOMBERG Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
