UNITED NATIONS: If countries do not take urgent steps to stop ocean acidification, the global economy could be losing as much as $1 trillion a year by the end of the century, says a United Nations report released on Wednesday.
The figure reflects the economic loss for industries linked to coral reefs alone, which are some of the most vulnerable species to this phenomenon.
The overall financial and environmental costs are still uncertain, says the report, an updated synthesis of the Impact of Ocean Acidification on Marine Biodiversity, was issued by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) at the 12th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the CBD.
“When ecosystems stop delivering the way they should, they essentially deliver less services and less benefits.
In the case of coral reefs, those systems are essential for people’s livelihoods in many regions of the world and they will be significantly affected,” said Salvatore Arico, who acts as the principal focal point on biodiversity and policy at the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco).
Published in Dawn, October 9th, 2014