COST OF BIODIVERSITY & ECOSYSTEM DAMAGE

Ecosystem valuation is not an easy process.It is an impractical effort.Scientists have tried to attempt to do this.Global economic output from ecosystem services is estimated to a range between 2 and 6 trillion dollars.

• If ecologically intact the boreal forests contribution to global ecosystem services is estimated to be 3.7 trillion dollars. The boreal forest ecosystem is one of the planet's most atmospheric regulators and it stores more carbon than any other biome on the planet.
• Intact ecosystems will help us reduce the prevalence of some of illnesses like COVID-19.
• So the way we farm,the way we use soils,the way we treat our forests will either wreck the future or help us live longer.
• According to estimates ecosystems and biodiversity have an economic value that is between 10 & 100 times greater than the costs associated with conservation.Cumulative welfare losses could amount to 70% of annual consumption in 2050.
• UN report warns  of economic of biodiversity loss. The alarming rate of nature loss could harm food sources and industry and exacerbate climate change.
• 75% of the 100,000 chemicals released  into the environment can be degraded by biological organisms and are potential targets of both bioremediation and biotreatment.
• Remediation of chemical pollution worldwide give annual benefit of 135 billion dollar (a 1997 calculation).
• Maintaining biodiversity in soils and water is imperative to the continued and improved effectiveness of bioremediation and biotreatment.
• Biodiversity provides 2928 billion dollar in annual benefit worldwide and 319 billion dollars to US alone.
• Environmental degradation and GDP are closely interlinked.
• Environmental degradation has caused a drop of 8% of GDP in China.

Air and water pollution damages54 billion dollar a year (1995).Some have estimated burden of pollution to be 5% of GDP.Loss due to deforestation alone comes to 12% of GDP.

• Loss due to environmental degradation in India is estimated to 4.5 to 8% of GDP

Annual economic costsof air pollution ,soil degradation and deforestation were estimated to be 8% by Tata Energy Resourse Institute (TERI).World Bank had quantified in 2001 that India's economic losses due to unsafe domestic water supplies and unsanitary excreta disposal caused 60% of environmental damage.And another 20%from soil degradation.

WHAT HAVE WE DONE TO THE ENVIRONMENT

1. 75% of terrestrial environment "severely altered" by human activity.Marine environment altered by 66%. Reduction in global indicators of ecosystems extent and condition against their estimated natural baselines,with many continuing to decline  by 4% per decade.
2. The alarming rate of nature loss could harm and exacerbate climate change UN warns.
3. 75% by weight of the 100,000 chemicals released into the environment can degrade biological organisms and more potential targets of both  bioremediation and biotreatment .

SAVINGS GAINED

• Physical, chemical and thermal 
• To remediate chemical pollution worldwide give annual benefit of 135 billion dollar(1997 calculation)
• Maintaining biodiversity in soils and water is imperative to the continued and improved effectiveness of bioremediation and biotreatment.
• Biodiversity provides 2928 billion dollar in annual benefit worldwide .
• US alone gets an annual benefit of 319 billion dollar from biodiversity services.
• Twenty billion dollar is spent on pesticides a year. Yet parasites and predators existing in natural ecosystems provide 5 to 10 times this amount of the pest control.
• A diverse group of microbes fix nitrogen from atmosphere for use by crops and forests.
• An estimated 7 billion dollar benefit on account of nitrogen is supplied to US agriculture each year by nitrogen fixing microbes.
• Worldwide  90 million tons of nitrogen a year for use by agriculture with a value of 50 billion dollar is provided.
• An annual economic and environmental benefits of biodiversity in the US is estimated to 300 billion dollar.
• Earth's biota contains 10 million species of plants,animals and microbes.
• In the US there are 750,000 species of which small organisms such as arthropods and microbes make up 95%.
• 65% of world's food supply comes from rice,wheat and corn as many  as 20,000 other plant sp. have been used by humans as food.
• Food production relies on biodiversity for a variety of food plants,pollination,pest control, nutrient provision, genetic diversity , disease prevention and control.
• Both medicinal plants and manufactured pharmaceuticals rely on biodiversity.
• One square metre of soil supports 200,000 arthropods and enchytraeids and billions of microbes.
• One hectare of high quality soil contains 1300 kg of earth worms,1000 kg of bacteria, 4000 kg of fungi and many other plants and animals( Pimental et al 1992)
• Earthworms bring 10 and 500 ton per hectare of soil to the surface where as insects bring between 1 and 10 tons per hectare a year(Pimental 1995).
• Earthworms  may ingest 500 ton per ha a year of soil churning and mixing the soil .
• Snails,earthworms and other organisms redistribute top soil formation , and increase rates of water infiltration ,enhancing plant productivity(Pimental 1995).
• Under agricultural conditions it takes 500 years to form 25 mm of soil. Where as under forest conditions it takes 1000 years to form the same amount of soil.
• 70,000 species of pests attack agricultural crops(Pimental 1991). 30% to 80% of pests are native species.
• 99% of pests are controlled by natural enemy species and host plant resistance (De Bach & Rosch 1991)
• The value of activity of soil microbiota per ton of soil is estimated to be 25 dollar. According to this assumption US agricultural land (400 million hectare) is 5 billion dollar per year . 
• Global value of microbiome activity for 4.5 billion hectare of agricultural land is 25 billion dollar per year.
• Pitsburgh's (US)29641 publicly managed street trees provide cumulative benefits to the community valued 81 dollar per tree annually. Gross total value estimated to 2.4 miilion dollar annually. City's annual tree related expenses 8,16,400 dollar and net annual benefit to the community/ city is 1.6 million dollar or 53 dollar per tree per year.

INDIAN SCENARIO

Over the last century India has lost more than 50% of it's lakes and wetlands. Majority of the remaining are degraded and heavily polluted. As the country experiences one of the fastest urban migrations in hiatory, it's natural spaces are disappearing under rapidly expanding cities. The south Indian city of Chennai is no exception. Over the last decade , Chennai has lost more than 85% of  wetlands due to unplanned urbanisation. This is severely impacting the quality of life of it's residents as they grapple with issues of water security,flooding,and droughts , as well as the city's environment and urban biodiversity. Extreme situations of streets and homes submerged under water, or people lining up around tankers to fill up a day's worth of water have become a common phenomenon.

India is a region of extreme climatic conditions .More than 70% of its area is classified as dry land and is prone to droughts which occurs due to natural climate vulnerability,climate change and human interferences.