Letters | Threatened by a global polycrisis, let’s rethink our approach to risk

Readers discuss how to best address the intertwined environmental and other challenges facing the world, and the birth of panda twins in Hong Kong

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Birds perch on the branches of a dead tree in Tanzania’s Tarangire National Park. Photo: AP

Published: 11:30am, 8 Sep 2024

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With less than two months until world leaders convene in Colombia, for the UN Biodiversity Conference, otherwise known as Cop16, the need for radical action to reverse biodiversity loss has never been greater.

The adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework in 2022 was a pivotal step forward, yet the pace of change isn’t happening anywhere near fast enough. Biodiversity loss has escalated into a systemic risk, threatening the stability of entire ecosystems and the very foundations of human survival and progress.

We find ourselves in a world besieged by interlinked crises, from climate change to escalating poverty and the ongoing degradation of our planet’s biodiversity. The conventional approach to managing these risks – treating them as isolated issues – is proving inadequate. This fragmented strategy not only fails to address the complexities of our global challenges but also leads to wasted resources and lost opportunities.

To truly tackle the polycrisis we face, we must radically rethink our approach to risk. Instead of viewing risks in isolation, we need to adopt a holistic perspective that considers the interconnected nature of these threats. This means moving beyond traditional risk assessments and embracing a comprehensive approach that acknowledges the cascading effects of biodiversity loss, climate change and other systemic risks.

Accelerator for Systemic Risk Assessment recently launched a series of pilots testing prototypes of the tools that could redefine societies’ approach to these systemic risks. One of those pilots is focused on the Mekong Delta in Vietnam, with parallel initiatives in Tanzania and Papua New Guinea, pioneering a new approach to risk assessment and response that looks at how to take a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to tackling biodiversity loss.

The group of experts involved in this pilot will focus on assessing and understanding whether current responses, policies and programmes to implement the Global Biodiversity Framework are adequate to address systemic risks, and how they can be improved. With that, they will consider how cascading and compounding risks could have a significant impact on Global Biodiversity Framework targets.