Declining Freshwater Biodiversity: Causes, Concerns & Protective Actions

• Main Author: Chaitali Banerjee
• Format: Book Part
• Language: English
• Published: Advent Publishing 2024
• Subjects: Freshwater; Fish; Biodiversity; Extinct; Arctic; IUCN
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10681913

Biodiversity is at risk globally. Anthropogenic and different factors owing to changing climatic conditions are continuously threatening and triggering this pathway of extinction. As per Red List (IUCN), almost 1/3 rd of various freshwater species is threatened and near about 80 or more species have been linked to extinction. The year of 2020 is entitled as “Black year for freshwater fish” (IUCN version 2020). The UNESCO have validated different scientific claims of more sensitivity of aquatic organisms to changing environmental conditions; hence greater severity of freshwater ecosystem compared to terrestrial and marine ecosystems is an alarming concern. The year 2020 held the Convention on Biological Diversity conference and it significantly recommended an Emergency Recovery Plan to bend the freshwater biodiversity curve. The severity has reached every corner of the globe and meltdown of artic water bodies has raised serious concerns in recent pasts. The biodiversity of freshwater species decreases with latitudinal rise and longitudinally biodiversity is reported to be greater at the unglaciated region. Greater challenges are imposed in analysing the temporal trend in these regions because of restrictions in time line and fewer monitoring sites. Howsoever it is evident that freshwater fishes are colonizing northward along river corridors & biodiversity “hotspots” have become notable. Several global initiatives are at work and work map of restoration is chalked out. It is important that much integrated approach involving people of all sectors joins the RACE (Reshape, Appreciate, Connect and Elevate) strategies of restoring the biodiversity.