UN summit: Don’t repeat mistakes on nature, scientists warn

MOMBASA, Kenya — Scientists around the world are warning governments who will be gathering in Montreal this week for the United Nations biodiversity summit to not repeat past mistakes and are urging officials to “avoid trade-offs” between people and conservation needs in a report Monday. The study published in the One Earth Journal found that even though there has been an increase in investment in conservation over the last three decades governments “have not succeeded in bending the curve on biodiversity decline.” The conference known as COP15, which begins Tuesday, hopes to set the goals for the world for the next decade to help conserve the planet’s biodiversity and stem the loss of nature. “No amount of conservation or restoration actions may be effective in stopping biodiversity loss if the accelerating drivers of decline continue and intensify, as has been the case to date, especially in wealthier countries and among elites, who often express commitment to conservation action,” said David Obura, who is one of the report authors and director of Coastal Oceans Research and Development for east Africa. “Much of the conversation in Montreal is likely to revolve around money and specifically how much of it wealthier countries are willing to make available to support the conservation efforts of emerging economies.” Indigenous rights groups led by Survival International and Amnesty International agreed that local communities were central to protecting local biodiversity.