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NDTV
4 days ago
- Science
- NDTV
In A Hotter Future, What Happens After Coral Reefs Die
The fate of coral reefs has been written with a degree of certainty rare in climate science: at 1.5 degrees Celsius of global warming, most are expected to die. This is not a far-off scenario. Scientists predict that the rise of 1.5 Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) will be reached within a decade and that beyond that point, many corals simply cannot survive. It is important to accept this and ask what next "rather than trying to hold onto the past", said David Obura, chair of IPBES, the UN's expert scientific panel on biodiversity. "I wish it were different," Obura, a Kenyan reef scientist and founding director of CORDIO East Africa, a marine research organisation, told AFP. "We need to be pragmatic about it and ask those questions, and face up to what the likely future will be." And yet, it is a subject few marine scientists care to dwell on. "We are having a hard time imagining that all coral reefs really could die off," said Melanie McField, a Caribbean reef expert, who described a "sort of pre-traumatic stress syndrome" among her colleagues. "But it is likely in the two-degree world we are rapidly accelerating to," McField, founding director of the Healthy Reefs for Healthy People Initiative, told AFP. When stressed in hotter ocean waters, corals expel the microscopic algae that provides their characteristic colour and food source. Without respite, bleached corals slowly starve. At 1.5C of warming relative to pre-industrial times, between 70 and 90 percent of coral reefs are expected to perish, according to the IPCC, the global authority on climate science. At 2C, that number rises to 99 percent. Even with warming as it stands today -- about 1.4C -- mass coral death is occurring, and many scientists believe the global collapse of tropical reefs may already be underway. What comes next Obura said it was not pessimistic to imagine a world without coral reefs, but an urgent question that scientists were "only just starting to grapple with". "I see no reason to not be clear about where we are at this point in time," Obura said. "Let's be honest about that, and deal with the consequences." Rather than disappear completely, coral reefs as they exist today will likely evolve into something very different, marine scientists on four continents told AFP. This would happen as slow-growing hard corals -- the primary reef builders that underpin the ecosystem -- die off, leaving behind white skeletons without living tissue. Gradually, these would be covered by algae and colonised by simpler organisms better able to withstand hotter oceans, like sponges, mussels, and weedy soft corals like sea fans. "There will be less winners than there are losers," said Tom Dallison, a marine scientist and strategic advisor to the International Coral Reef Initiative. These species would dominate this new underwater world. The dead coral beneath -- weakened by ocean acidification, and buffeted by waves and storms -- would erode over time into rubble. "They will still exist, but they will just look very different. It is our responsibility to ensure the services they provide, and those that depend on them, are protected," Dallison said. Dark horizon One quarter of all ocean species live among the world's corals. Smaller, sparser, less biodiverse reefs simply means fewer fish and other marine life. The collapse of reefs threatens in particular the estimated one billion people who rely on them for food, tourism income, and protection from coastal erosion and storms. But if protected and managed properly, these post-coral reefs could still be healthy, productive, attractive ecosystems that provide some economic benefit, said Obura. So far, the picture is fuzzy -- research into this future has been very limited. Stretched resources have been prioritised for protecting coral and exploring novel ways to make reefs more climate resilient. But climate change is not the only thing threatening corals. Tackling pollution, harmful subsidies, overfishing and other drivers of coral demise would give "the remaining places the best possible chance of making it through whatever eventual warming we have", Obura said. Conservation and restoration efforts were "absolutely essential" but alone were like "pushing a really heavy ball up a hill, and that hill is getting steeper", he added. Trying to save coral reefs "is going to be extremely difficult" as long as we keep pouring carbon into the atmosphere, said Jean-Pierre Gattuso, an oceans expert from France's flagship scientific research institute, CNRS. But some coral had developed a level of thermal tolerance, he said, and research into restoring small reef areas with these resilient strains held promise. "How do we work in this space when you have this sort of big dark event on the horizon? It's to make that dark event a little brighter," said Dallison.
France 24
4 days ago
- Science
- France 24
In a hotter future, what comes after coral reefs die?
This is not a far-off scenario. Scientists predict that the rise of 1.5 Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) will be reached within a decade and that beyond that point, many coral simply cannot survive. It is important to accept this and ask what next "rather than trying to hold onto the past", said David Obura, chair of IPBES, the UN's expert scientific panel on biodiversity. "I wish it were different," Obura, a Kenyan reef scientist and founding director of CORDIO East Africa, a marine research organisation, told AFP. "We need to be pragmatic about it and ask those questions, and face up to what the likely future will be." And yet, it is a subject few marine scientists care to dwell on. "We are having a hard time imagining that all coral reefs really could die off," said Melanie McField, a Caribbean reef expert, who described a "sort of pre-traumatic stress syndrome" among her colleagues. "But it is likely in the two-degree world we are rapidly accelerating to," McField, founding director of the Healthy Reefs for Healthy People Initiative, told AFP. When stressed in hotter ocean waters, corals expel the microscopic algae that provides their characteristic colour and food source. Without respite, bleached corals slowly starve. At 1.5C of warming relative to pre-industrial times, between 70 and 90 percent of coral reefs are expected to perish, according to the IPCC, the global authority on climate science. At 2C, that number rises to 99 percent. Even with warming as it stands today -- about 1.4C -- mass coral death is occurring, and many scientists believe the global collapse of tropical reefs may already be underway. What comes next Obura said it was not pessimistic to imagine a world without coral reefs, but an urgent question that scientists were "only just starting to grapple with". "I see no reason to not be clear about where we are at this point in time," Obura said. "Let's be honest about that, and deal with the consequences." Rather than disappear completely, coral reefs as they exist today will likely evolve into something very different, marine scientists on four continents told AFP. This would happen as slow-growing hard corals -- the primary reef builders that underpin the ecosystem -- die off, leaving behind white skeletons without living tissue. Gradually, these would be covered by algae and colonised by simpler organisms better able to withstand hotter oceans, like sponges, mussels, and weedy soft corals like sea fans. "There will be less winners than there are losers," said Tom Dallison, a marine scientist and strategic advisor to the International Coral Reef Initiative. These species would dominate this new underwater world. The dead coral beneath -- weakened by ocean acidification, and buffeted by waves and storms -- would erode over time into rubble. "They will still exist, but they will just look very different. It is our responsibility to ensure the services they provide, and those that depend on them, are protected," Dallison said. Dark horizon One quarter of all ocean species live among the world's corals. Smaller, sparser, less biodiverse reefs simply means fewer fish and other marine life. The collapse of reefs threatens in particular the estimated one billion people who rely on them for food, tourism income, and protection from coastal erosion and storms. But if protected and managed properly, these post-coral reefs could still be healthy, productive, attractive ecosystems that provide some economic benefit, said Obura. So far, the picture is fuzzy -- research into this future has been very limited. Stretched resources have been prioritised for protecting coral and exploring novel ways to make reefs more climate resilient. But climate change is not the only thing threatening corals. Tackling pollution, harmful subsidies, overfishing and other drivers of coral demise would give "the remaining places the best possible chance of making it through whatever eventual warming we have", Obura said. Conservation and restoration efforts were "absolutely essential" but alone were like "pushing a really heavy ball up a hill, and that hill is getting steeper", he added. Trying to save coral reefs "is going to be extremely difficult" as long as we keep pouring carbon into the atmosphere, said Jean-Pierre Gattuso, an oceans expert from France's flagship scientific research institute, CNRS. But some coral had developed a level of thermal tolerance, he said, and research into restoring small reef areas with these resilient strains held promise. "How do we work in this space when you have this sort of big dark event on the horizon? It's to make that dark event a little brighter," said Dallison.
Indian Express
29-05-2025
- Science
- Indian Express
India needs to embed biodiversity as a key consideration in every decision
Written by Asmita Sengupta and Vinod B Mathur The unprecedented loss of nature over the past few decades has induced a call for transformative change towards socially-just biodiversity conservation across the world. Transforming biodiversity safeguarding is not just about conservation, though — it is a systemic shift that integrates biodiversity and social justice into every facet of human life, ensuring ecological balance, economic stability, and long-term sustainability for all living beings. The recently adopted Summary for Policymakers (SPM) of the Transformative Change Assessment (TCA) undertaken by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) defines 'transformative change' as 'fundamental, system-wide shifts in views, structures and practices' that address the underlying causes of biodiversity loss and nature's decline. Transformative change is crucial as past and existing attempts at addressing the drivers of biodiversity loss have failed to make a difference. And India has a critical role in bringing it about, not only as the most populous country but also as one of the fastest-growing global economies. So, how does one bring about transformative change? Acknowledging the linkage between equity and sustainability at the very outset, the IPBES assessment identifies three key causes underlying the drivers of biodiversity loss: Disconnection from and domination over nature and (marginalised) people, concentration of wealth and power, and prioritisation of short-term, individual and material gains. Shifting worldviews, practices, and institutional and/or governance structures are essential for addressing these causes. Further, the assessment recognises four key principles that can bring about this shift: Equity and justice, pluralism and inclusion, respectful and reciprocal human-nature relationships, and adaptive learning and action. The assessment, however, warns that transformative change can be impeded by five overarching challenges that are systemic, pervasive, and persistent. Relations of domination over nature and people, especially those that emerged in colonial eras and have persisted since; economic and political inequalities; inadequate policies and unfit institutions; unsustainable consumption and production patterns; and limited access to clean technologies alongside uncoordinated knowledge and innovation systems. The assessment finally provides five strategies in this regard: Conserving and regenerating places of value to nature and people, driving systemic change in sectors most responsible for biodiversity decline, transforming economic systems for nature and equity, transforming governance systems, and shifting societal views and values to recognise and prioritise fundamental interconnections between humans and nature. India has seen transformative change in the realm of biodiversity, safeguarding several times over the past 50 years. A compelling story of communities taking stewardship of natural resources from the country is the Chipko Movement, when villagers, including many women, hugged forest trees in Chamoli, Uttarakhand, to prevent them from being felled by logging companies – one of many such movements that eventually led to the enactment of the Forest Conservation Act (1980). India continues to accord high importance to conserving places of value to nature and people, and has strong governance frameworks in this regard, including laws and regulations for forest management, biodiversity conservation, wildlife protection, environment protection, and recognising indigenous rights. The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act (FRA) 2006 that legally recognises the land rights of communities and authorises them to utilise, manage, and safeguard forests and forest resources through the Community Forest Resource (CFR) rights legitimises community ownership of forest lands for residing and cultivation, apart from giving decision-making authority to the Gram Sabha regarding land parcel management. Nevertheless, not all is rosy in India. Just as the tiger population has seen a boost thanks to Project Tiger, the Great Indian Bustard has experienced a massive population decline. Wildlife conservation success stories have often compromised the well-being of forest-dwelling communities. Many protected areas have been degraded, downsized and degazetted for activities at loggerheads with biodiversity safeguarding. And infrastructure developments, particularly in the form of roads, railways and canals, continue to occur in and around biodiversity-rich landscapes. The aspiration for being 'developed' comes at a very high cost, and India needs to embed biodiversity, one of its greatest assets, as a key consideration in every decision. The IPBES TCA SPM is a tool that India could make use of to this end. And the same holds for the other assessments that the IPBES has produced since its establishment in 2012 and the ones that are being undertaken as we speak. The IPBES brings together experts with a vast variety of disciplinary backgrounds who synthesise existing knowledge over two-three years and yet effective uptake of these assessments remains a pipe-dream. It is paramount that this wealth of resources is tapped into for informed decision-making as India moves ahead on the trajectory of Viksit Bharat. Sengupta is Fellow, Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, Bengaluru, India; Fellow, TCA, IPBES. Mathur is Former Chairperson, National Biodiversity Authority of India and Regional Vice Chair (Asia-Pacific) IPBES Bureau
Mint
21-04-2025
- Science
- Mint
Book review: Behind the Bishnoi's fight for wildlife and nature
Harini Nagendra Martin Goodman's new book, 'My Head For a Tree', chronicles the struggles of the Bishnoi community, especially their crusade to save the environment The goal of the book is to spark conversations about ecology among communities far and wide. Gift this article We live in times of a polycrisis. All around us, newspaper headlines talk of changes in global geopolitical configurations, while global stock markets and investors brace themselves for a rocky ride. Much less discussed are the other environmental threats looming on the horizon. We hear about climate change, though these discussions are certainly insufficient relative to the scale of the problem that confronts us. But it is surprising—even shocking—to see how little we speak of the global biodiversity collapse that is ongoing around us. We live in times of a polycrisis. All around us, newspaper headlines talk of changes in global geopolitical configurations, while global stock markets and investors brace themselves for a rocky ride. Much less discussed are the other environmental threats looming on the horizon. We hear about climate change, though these discussions are certainly insufficient relative to the scale of the problem that confronts us. But it is surprising—even shocking—to see how little we speak of the global biodiversity collapse that is ongoing around us. The world is in the midst of the Sixth Great Extinction. A landmark 2024 assessment from the Intergovernmental Panel on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), written by 150 experts representing over 130 countries, presents some sobering statistics. Over 1 million plant and animal species are threatened by extinction—including 25% of well-studied animal and plant groups such as mammals and birds. Biodiversity received a brief respite during the pandemic lockdown period, when Nilgai entered Noida, peacocks took over the streets of Coimbatore, and wild boars walked the streets of Barcelona. For a brief while, the Yamuna river stopped foaming in Delhi, and the waters of Bellandur lake in Bengaluru, infamous for catching fire due to its pollution, turned blue after decades. But this was a temporary respite. Once the restrictions of the pandemic were lifted, society at large returned to business as usual, and our appetite for driving economic growth in previously unexplored corners of the world led to an accelerated impact on our ecosystems and ecologies. Also read: Book review: Zahid Rafiq's debut captures Kashmir's invisible trauma India accounts for just about 2.4% of the land surface of the planet, but contains close to 8% of the world's species and four of the world's 34 biodiversity hot spots. The human population of the country has quadrupled since independence, from about 400 million in the 1940s, to 1.3 billion now (and growing), with a parallel growth in the economy. How do we retain space for more than 91,000 animal species and 45,000 plant species in a country where every inch of land is valued and fought over? The IPBES warns us that 'deep, fundamental shifts in how people view and interact with the natural world are urgently needed to halt and reverse biodiversity loss and safeguard life on Earth." It is in this context that My Head for a Tree: The Extraordinary Story of the Bishnoi, the World's First Eco-Warriors becomes so important for us to read and reflect upon. The cover of Martin Goodman's 'My Head For a Tree'. The book is the result of an extraordinary journey by writer Martin Goodman with the Bishnoi communities, mostly based in Rajasthan, on a quest to learn and share their inspirational approach to living with and caring for nature. On a visit to Jaipur for a literature festival, Goodman—who teaches creative writing at the University of Hull in England and has written several books on the environment—met the Bishnoi community. On that visit, he was asked by the community at a meeting to write about them. Goodman was a well-known writer and university professor who had written previous books on the relationship between people and the environment—perhaps that, he speculates, was the reason they selected him. The Bishnoi community asked him to share their story with the world outside, so that people could learn from their example and perhaps adopt some of their practices to make the world a better, kinder place for wildlife. Goodman does so with humility, cognizant of the fact that he is not a Bishnoi, but indeed a Westerner, an outsider. Through his journeys, he is careful to centre stage the voice of the Bishnoi people, describing what he sees, but also letting the community speak for themselves to the extent that is possible given the limitations of distance—and the inevitable challenges that come from an outsider's perspective. The book begins with the remarkable story of the Bishnoi woman Amrita Devi, who, along with her daughters Asu, Ratni and Bhagu, and 359 other Bishnois, sacrificed their lives on 11 September 1730 to protect the trees of Khejarli village in Jodhpur from being chopped down by the Maharaja of Jodhpur's men. In another incident in 1604, Karma and Gora—two women from the village of Ramsari in Nagaur district of Rajasthan—were beheaded when they came forward to protect the trees in their village. Goodman poignantly asks of himself: Would I die to save a child? I'd hope so. Do I love trees? Yes. Would I die for one? Not yet. But who are the people who would? That is the story this book seeks to uncover. In his journeys through the desert, Goodman describes a fascinating complex of livelihoods, enterprise and conservation—Bishnoi schools that double up as animal rescue centres, highway restaurants where members of the Bishnoi Tiger Force and their families keep an alert watch for poachers at night, temples and shrines within community reserves, and farmers who work with the forest department as part of the All India Wildlife Protection Bishnoi Support, similar to voluntary groups like the Tiger Force, founded in 1999, who patrol the desert to identify and chase away poachers. Also read: Manu Gandhi's diaries shine a light on Gandhi's deepest struggles From famous actors who were allegedly caught poaching to professional hunters, the Tiger Force has caught over 400 poachers and registered cases against them. In the process, over two dozen members of the Task Force have been killed. Yet the community continues its work. As Goodman describes, even Pushpa, the widow of Shaitanaram Singh Bishnoi, a young man who was killed by a poacher's gun in 2016, continues to actively do what she considers her duty by the environment. Left with two young children to raise, Pushpa rears orphaned chinkara and remains as committed to conservation as her husband was. Indeed, the book is filled with inspirational stories of the determined women who participate in conservation as fiercely as do the men. The narratives are illustrated by a series of remarkable photographs by Franck Vogel, which bring the landscape and its people alive. The Bishnoi have been relatively successful in curbing poaching but larger factors of economic growth threaten their environment. Sand mining is rampant, backed by powerful political and economic interests that are hard to fight. The Khejri tree, a locally abundant species which is characteristic of the Thar desert and plays an important role in providing shade and fodder as well as in helping recharge ground water, is being cut down across the region for solar plants and other kinds of infrastructure. Electric powerlines that stretch across the dessert kill as much as 10% of the endangered Great Indian Bustard each year. And packs of feral dogs, fed by trash dumped by cities and tourists, attack vulnerable chinkaras and other wildlife. The Bishnoi cannot save the world alone—they need help. The goal of this book is to inspire conversations amongst wider communities about what each of us can do, in our own parts of the world, to initiate conversations and spark changes in mindsets. It is important to recognise that this is not a scholarly book about conservation, or a book which tracks the Bishnoi from an anthropological or sociological perspective. The author aims to speak with the Bishnoi voice and tells the story of their protection from a Bishnoi perspective. Goodman touches on more complex and troubling themes of child marriage, inter-caste issues and vigilantism, but has clearly taken a decision not to delve into these in any depth—that is not the focus of this narrative, and it should not be judged on this basis. The goal of the book is to bring us to this critical realisation—we have only one Earth, and we can't give up on it. Not for ourselves, our children and grandchildren—or the birds, butterflies, tigers, rhinos, ants, spiders and other magnificent beings that call this planet, our common planet, home. Harini Nagendra is an ecologist and author, and director of the School of Climate Change at Azim Premji University. Topics You May Be Interested In
