Photo courtesy of undergroundb on flickr.
The value of the global environment to human well-being, health and livelihoods fell by around US$20 trillion (A$21.5 trillion) a year between 1997 and 2011 due to loss of wetlands, coral reefs and tropical forests, a new study from a team of international researchers has found. The study, published in Global Environmental Change , found the total value of global ecosystem services in 2011 was US$124.8 trillion (A$134 trillion) a year, down from $US145 trillion a year in 1997. That compares to global GDP of just $US75.2 trillion in 2011. Global ecosystem services measure the value of ecological systems to human well-being, on top of the usual economic measures contained in gross domestic product (GDP) figures. "Nature is not just a pretty place. Nature is a large and important part of the real economy which adds to human well-being," said lead author Professor Robert Costanza, from Crawford School of Public Policy. The report is the first time scientists and economists have put a dollar value on the loss of global ecosystem services, highlighting the need for policymakers to take a closer look at issues affecting environmental change.
TO READ THIS ARTICLE, CREATE YOUR ACCOUNT
And extend your reading, free of charge and with no commitment.
