GPR Project

Unsustainability topic
land conversion and habitat loss

Name:Aarul.d & class 7D

How does land conversion happen
A lot of neighbourhoods are likely to have a piece of land that has been left unattended or a
building that appears to be unoccupied or derelict. And while we may pass those by with a
momentary thought about what happened to these or what they could have otherwise been,
we are unlikely to think that these are prime examples of how current practices promote and
perpetuate unsustainable land development. The problem of unsustainable land
development is particularly important with the UN estimating that the footprint of human
activities has affected 83% of global land surface[sc:1].

Our land and resources are finite, so we should be using both with great care if we are to
address the challenges of urbanisation, changing demographics or climate change. This
means careful planning about what land we use and for what reason. However, evidence
suggests that our current practices encourage unsustainable land development. While the
specific reasons vary in different parts of the world, there are three main ways in which
unsustainable land development happens.
 How to reduce land conversion
We want companies to stop cutting down forests and clearing savannahs to grow feed for
livestock and other commodities such as unsustainable palm oil. Governments need to
protect these natural resources and penalize companies that are destroying them.
Governments and businesses also need to put in place measures that will reduce the
demand for these products, for instance incentivizing consumers to eat less soy-fed meat or
food that is made using unsustainable palm oil.
What is habitat loss
Habitat loss—due to destruction, fragmentation, or degradation of habitat—is the primary
threat to the survival of wildlife in the United States. When an ecosystem has been
dramatically changed by human activities—such as agriculture, oil and gas exploration,
commercial development, or water diversion—it may no longer be able to provide the food,
water, cover, and places to raise young that wildlife need to survive. Every day there are
fewer places left that wildlife can call home.
What is habitat destruction
The destruction of our planet’s natural habitats is one of the biggest drivers of biodiversity
loss. We must protect and restore at least 30% of the world’s land and sea to give nature a
chance to rebound. We’ve already made a start.Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss
and habitat reduction) is the process by which a natural habitat becomes incapable of
supporting its native species. The organisms that previously inhabited the site are displaced
or dead, thereby reducing biodiversity and species abundance.[1][2] Habitat destruction is
the leading cause of biodiversity loss.[3] Fragmentation and loss of habitat have become one
of the most important topics of research in ecology as they are major threats to the survival
of endangered species.[4]
Activities such as harvesting natural resources, industrial production and urbanization are
human contributions to habitat destruction. Pressure from agriculture is the principal human
cause. Some others include mining, logging, trawling, and urban sprawl. Habitat destruction
is currently considered the primary cause of species extinction worldwide.[5] Environmental
factors can contribute to habitat destruction more indirectly. Geological processes, climate
change,[2] introduction of invasive species, ecosystem nutrient depletion, water and noise
pollution are some examples. Loss of habitat can be preceded by an initial habitat
fragmentation.
Attempts to address habitat destruction are in international policy commitments embodied by
Sustainable Development Goal 15 "Life on Land" and Sustainable Development Goal 14
"Life Below Water". However, the United Nations Environment Programme report on "Making
Peace with Nature" released in 2021 found that most of these efforts had failed to meet their
internationally agreed upon goals.[6]
How to stop habitat loss
All living things on Earth are connected to support and maintain life cycles, therefore
biodiversity is extremely important for the functioning of ecosystems on the Earth.
Biodiversity loss prevention is imperative to the sustenance of all kinds of ecosystems on
Earth, as humans are dependent on wildlife, plants, fisheries and more for their livelihoods.
Here are seven solutions to address the issue of biodiversity loss.

Biodiversity refers to the variety of living organisms on Earth, and it provides ecological,
economic, and social benefits. It is declining however at such a rate that it has even been
predicted that we are on the path to a sixth mass extinction event.
Climate change has pushed biodiversity to the top of the agenda on the international stage,
focusing us to urgently assess and address the interconnected problems of biodiversity,
climate change, and desertification

Causes of biodiversity loss include both natural and anthropogenic activities. Natural
activities come in the form of extreme weather, floods, volcanic eruptions and more.
Anthropogenic activities come in the form of human-induced climate change, habitat loss,
species introduction, land pollution, marine pollution, land clearing for mining and
industrial activities, agriculture, ocean acidification and coral bleaching, drainage of
wetlands, and mangroves.
Biodiversity loss can come in the form of habitat loss through land converted to
agriculture, combined with land degradation through intensive farming practices – which is
the principal contributor to the decline and extinction of species – and it can also come in
the form of unsustainable food production, where our meat and dairy consumption habits
are to blame, as livestock farming requires disproportionate areas of land to be used.

Solutions to Biodiversity Loss

Species of plants and animals that are vulnerable to extinction require our utmost attention.
We need to ensure that significant changes at a policy and a collective individual level are
made.
Source used:-
https://greentumble.com/how-does-unsustainable-land-development-happen#:~:text=Another%2
0important%20cause%20of%20unsustainable,in%20a%20very%20poor%20state.page 1
https://actions4food.org/en/actions/stop-and-reverse-land-use-conversion-including-deforestation
/#:~:text=We%20want%20companies%20to%20stop,companies%20that%20are%20destroying
%20them. Page 2
https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Threats-to-Wildlife/Habitat-Loss page
3
https://www.fauna-flora.org/projects/protecting-rare-conifers-and-magnolias-in-northern-vietnam/
page 4
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habitat_destruction page 5-6
https://earth.org/solutions-to-biodiversity-loss/ page 7-9