Does loss of biodiversity disproportionately affect the impoverished?
Data from the World Wildlife Fund and the Institute of Zoology suggest that increasing loss of biodiversity is particularly harmful for the world’s poorer populations.
Average population sizes among species of mammals, birds, fish, amphibians and reptiles have dropped 68% since 1970, according to WWF. The destruction of biodiverse forests has increased over time, according to National Geographic, with consequences for ecological balance, air quality, climate stability, water supply, pollination and food and medicine production.
Impoverished people are more likely to have their natural resources exploited, and rely most on agricultural production for survival, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. They also have less access to funding needed to respond to worsening environmental conditions.
