Letters | Let’s renew promise to heal the planet this World Environment Day

Name: They’re not ‘stray cows’: Hong Kong’s buffalo mama’s mission to preserve habitat for feral cattle
Uploaded: 2021-06-04T22:30:10.000Z
Duration: 9 min 52 s
Description: They’re not ‘stray cows’: Hong Kong’s buffalo mama’s mission to preserve habitat for feral cattle

Up to 10 million hectares of forest are lost every year and a million species are under threat of extinction

The European Commission has a 20 billion euro biodiversity strategy and China is aiming for 26 per cent forest cover in 2030. We must build on this momentum

Reading Time:2 minutes

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Hikers at Lung Fu Shan country park, Hong Kong’s smallest, in November 2020. The city’s Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department has launched a programme to replace ageing exotic trees in country parks with native tree species to improve the health and biodiversity of forests. Photo: James Wendlinger

Letters

Published: 6:30am, 5 Jun 2021Updated: 6:30am, 5 Jun 2021

“Reimagine. Recreate. Restore.”: that is the theme for this year’s World Environment Day. Human over-exploitation of nature has been harming the planet, with 10 million hectares of forest lost every year. Half of the world’s wetland and coral reefs have already been destroyed by our actions. One million species are under threat of extinction. Increasing habitat encroachment also exposes us to more novel and emerging diseases.

The health of our planet is, however, closely tied to our own physical and mental well-being. Forests, wetlands and even the soil provide us with vital ecosystem services like crop pollination, clean air and water, carbon sequestration, and more. Even at the more pedestrian level, our country parks and street trees provide a welcome reprieve from the urban jungle.

The importance of a healthy, well-functioning ecosystem cannot be understated. Restoring 15 per cent of converted land can prevent 60 per cent of projected species extinction while absorbing 30 per cent of carbon released since the Industrial Revolution. Good stewardship of land through conservation, restoration and better land management can deliver more than one third of climate mitigation needed to limit global warming below 2 degrees Celsius.

Even if we recognise the intrinsic value of nature, whether policymakers make it a top priority is another story. Scientific evidence still plays a subdued role in policymaking and investment decisions in many countries, as politicians typically have degrees in law or business but lack scientific training. The multidisciplinary nature of environmental issues paired with the division of departmental responsibilities also means environmental considerations are often a low priority for most ministries.

09:52

They’re not ‘stray cows’: Hong Kong’s buffalo mama’s mission to preserve habitat for feral cattle

That is not to say that nothing is being done. In 2020, the European Commission declared it will unlock 20 billion euro per year of funding to plant 3 billion trees, restore 25,000km of rivers and reduce the use and harmfulness of pesticides by 50 per cent by 2030. China aims to increase forest cover to 26 per cent by 2035 as part of its long-term afforestation plan to create a Great Green Wall.

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.css-sioo19{color:#c79a00;}Letters | Let’s renew promise to heal the planet this World Environment Day

Letters | Let’s renew promise to heal the planet this World Environment Day