. The Cost of Policy Inaction: The case of not meeting the 2010 biodiversity target. Box : Loss of ecosystem services in the Pearl River delta region. Industrialization and economic growth in the Pearl River delta region (China) resulted in large environmental degradation of the region. The delta changed in a relative short period from an area with high biodiversity and traditional farming into an industrialized area with low biodiversity. The area had many favourable physical characteristics, such as flat and fertile lands, abundant fresh water and easy access to the sea for agricultural a
. The Cost of Policy Inaction: The case of not meeting the 2010 biodiversity target. Box : Loss of ecosystem services in the Pearl River delta region. Industrialization and economic growth in the Pearl River delta region (China) resulted in large environmental degradation of the region. The delta changed in a relative short period from an area with high biodiversity and traditional farming into an industrialized area with low biodiversity. The area had many favourable physical characteristics, such as flat and fertile lands, abundant fresh water and easy access to the sea for agricultural and aquacultural development. Land restructuring resulted in a loss of arable land of over 20% in a single decade. The number of inhabitants increased from million in 1982 to million in 1996. Industrialization and the pressure inflicted by urban development resulted in a strong increase in water pollution; the estimated discharge of industrial effluent equalled 2000 million tons and that of domestic waste 560 million tons annually. Most of this discharge is not treated. The high load of effluents polluted the river resulting in frequent algal blooms up into the costal zone and contamination of water resources. Consequently ecosystem services such as provision of clean drinking water, fisheries and disease regulation are greatly reduced. The economic loss due to the environmental degradation was estimated to amount to USS11,000 million in the region. Box : Loss of ecosystem services due to eutrophication Many coastal marine ecosvstems in the EU are subject to eutrophication caused by increased supply of nutrients of anthropogenic origin. Due to their wide distribution and their role in sustaining important ecological functions of the coastal marine zone, the shallow soft bottom systems are considered the key ecosystem in the Sweden archipelago. Loss of biodiversity has been detected at three different trophic levels. Along most sections of the coast both the upper an
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