Chair IPBES / Science Advisor to the Prime Minister, Malaysia / Malaysian Industry‑Government Group for High Technology
27-May-2013
Founding Chair of new world biodiversity body offers first public remarks
The accelerating disappearance of Earth’s species of both wild and domesticated plants and animals constitutes a fundamental threat to the well-being and even the survival of humankind, warns the founding Chair of a new global organization created to narrow the gulf between leading international biodiversity scientists and national policy-makers.
In Norway to address an elite gathering of 450 international officials with government responsibilities in the fields of biodiversity and economic planning, Zakri Abdul Hamid offered his first public remarks since being elected in January to head the new Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) — an independent body modeled on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Dr. Zakri, a national of Malaysia who co-chaired 2005’s landmark Millennium Ecosystem Assessment and serves also as science advisor to his country’s prime minister, cited fast-growing evidence that “we are hurtling towards irreversible environmental tipping points that, once passed, would reduce the ability of ecosystems to provide essential goods and services to humankind.”
News release in full, click here
Example coverage by:
Reuters (UK), click here: Decline in biodiversity of farmed plants, animals gathering pace, also Spanish here, French here, and Portuguese here
EFE (Spain), click here: La pérdida de biodiversidad animal amenaza a la humanidad, advierte IPBES
ANSA (Italy), click here: Biodiversita’ a rischio anche fra piante e animali domestici, Allarme dell’Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services
Bernama (Malaysia, Malay), click here: MIGHT: Penyusutan Spesis Bumi Tingkatkan Ancaman Kepada Kehidupan Manusia
Coverage summary: click here