The Nation with the Richest Biodiversity In
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First national report for the Convention on Biological Diversity - BRAZIL Chapter I Brazilian Biodiversity he nation with the richest biodiversity in the IV. Considering the principal means to promote the world, rational use and management of biological diversity. T Brazil was the first signatory of the Convention on It is important to remember, however, that different levels Biological Diversity - CBD, and has been of responsibilities and interests exist between the countries endeavouring to fulfil the committments involved, after which are sources of, and conserve, biological diversity playing a decisive part in its negotiation, adoption, and (Brazil and other tropical countries) and the nations that approval during and after the Conference on Environment are principally users of such biodiversity (the industrialised and Development - UNCED, held in Rio de Janeiro in June countries, consumers of the products of biodiversity and of 1992. Fulfilling this objective requires vision and action on genetic resources for their biotechnological development). numerous fronts to tackle the complex biodiversity issues The latter are concerned with high rates of extinction and covered by the CBD: the erosion of biodiversity, and are proposing measures according to their specific interests. The source countries, I. Considering biodiversity in all its different forms; on the other hand, have legitimate concerns in increasing II. Planning for conservation of biological diversity, the their economic returns from the use of their biological sustainable use of its components and a fair and heritage in order to improve the quality of life for their equitable sharing of the benefits derived from the people as well as to offset the costs involved in its use of genetic resources; conservation. III. Considering options for the management of It was precisely this divergence of interests that, for the biological diversity; and first time in the history of diplomatic negotiations, led the 11 Ministry of Environment CBD to establish differentiated responsibilities and, in water (5,190 km³ a year), a vast territorial extension and consequence, a fair and equitable sharing of the commercial 3.5 million km² of coastal and marine waters under its and scientific benefits arising from the development of jurisdiction, it would hardly be an exaggeration to put the biotechnological products between the countries providing value of Brazilian biodiversity and the services of its the genetic resources and those using them. Moreover, the ecosystems at billions of dollars yearly; several times higher CBD established the principle of sharing the costs of than the GNP. It is clear that such a heritage represents conservation and of sustainable use of biodiversity, both in enormous scientific, economic and cultural possibilities, situ and ex situ, with the richer countries having the depending only on the availability of the appropriate incremental expense of being responsible for a significant technology since the raw materials and the markets are portion. An asymmetry exists, therefore, between evidently guaranteed. responsibilities and interests. It should be remembered that in the USA alone 25% of Biodiversity, as a whole and by its dimensions, represents commonly prescribed pharmaceutical products contain an incalculable guarantee, an insurance for the future against active ingredients derived from plants, and that there are the unexpected, providing alternatives and opportunities over 3,000 antibiotics derived from micro-organisms. The under adverse conditions. environmental scientist Thomas Lovejoy estimated the turnover in the chemical-pharmaceutical industry to be US$ The Commission for Genetic Resources of the United 200 billion a year for products based on biodiversity. Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation - FAO has pointed out that more than half of the varieties of the world’s Despite Brazil’s natural riches, however, most of its twenty most-important foods have been lost since the economy is based on non-native species. Sugar-cane comes beginning of the century, including those of such as rice, from New Guinea, coffee from Ethiopia, rice from the wheat, maize, oats, barley, beans and peas: each with their Philippines, and soybeans and oranges from China. Forestry unique, specific and irreplaceable genes allowing for depends on Eucalyptus from Australia and pines from Cen- adaptation to different soils, climates, diseases and pests. tral America. Cattle-ranches use African grasses for pasture, We will become more and more dependent on hybrid strains Indian cattle, and horses from central Asia. Fish-farms to create new varieties with increased vigour and resistance depend on carp from China and Tilapia from East Africa. if we are to ensure food supplies for the ever-increasing The bee-keeping industry depends on bees from Europe and world population. Africa. Biological diversity also holds the key to substituting For these and other reasons, Brazil must secure ways to increasingly scarce materials, especially true for those of protect its biodiversity and genetic resources, while still mineral origin. retaining access to non-native genetic resources, essential for improving agriculture, cattle ranching, forestry and fish- Biodiversity is of decisive importance in economic farming. development. The agribusiness sector, for example, accounts for about 40% of Brazil’s GNP (US$ 774 billion in 1997). Brazil is the richest of the world’s megadiversity countries That of forestry accounts for 4% of the GNP, while fisheries (Mittermeier et al., 1997), with its fauna and flora are responsible for 1%. Products of biodiversity, especially comprising at least 10% to 20% of the world’s species coffee, soybeans and oranges, represent 31% of Brazilian described to date. It has the most diverse flora, with 50,000 exports. More than 3 million people are employed in plant to 56,000 described species of higher plants, or 20% to 22% extractivism and fisheries. Plant biomass, here including of the world’s total. sugar-cane alcohol, firewood and charcoal from native and from planted forests, provides 26% of the country’s energy Many of the species important for the world economy demands (in some regions, the North-east, for example, this originated in Brazil. Examples include, ground nuts, Brazil figure is more than 50% for domestic consumption and nuts, Carnaúba wax palm, rubber trees, guaraná (providing industry). Demand for the use of medicinal plants is soft drinks), pineapple and cashew nuts, in addition to increasing, be it in therapeutic medicine or alternative countless other species important for fodder, fruit, oil, medicine based on popular traditions. medicine and timber. Recent studies by Costanza et al. (1997, see Box 1.1) At least 10% of the world’s amphibians and mammals have provided a conservative estimate of between US$ 16 and 17% of all bird species occur in Brazil. Brazil has the trillion and US$ 54 trillion a year, and a mean of US$ 33 world’s richest diversity in three major groups of organisms. trillion, as the value for ecological services provided by 16 1) Mammals. There are 524 species of mammals, of which world ecosystems. Given that Brazil has between 10% and 77 are primates - 27% of the world’s total. Since 1990, 20% of the world’s biodiversity, 12.7% of the world’s river eight new species of monkeys (seven in the Amazon and 12 First national report for the Convention on Biological Diversity - BRAZIL one in the Atlantic Forest) have been described. 2) another significant and threatened heritage of the country. Freshwater fish. There are more than 3,000 species of freshwater fish: over twice the number in any other country. Among the Europeans, the Portuguese, the first to 3) Vascular plants, with over 50,000 species. Brazil is colonise Brazil, have been the most influential in shaping second-ranking in terms of amphibians, with 517 species, the cultural patterns of today, but as of the 19th century as well as for non-fish vertebrates as a whole, with 3,131 there have been many immigrants from Europe, principally species. It is the third richest country in terms of birds, Italy, Spain, Germany, Poland and Ukraine, as well as from with 1,677 species, over 191 of them endemic. Of the 3,131 Asia, mainly Japan, Syria and the Lebanon. species of non-fish vertebrates, 259 are endangered or vulnerable. It is estimated that there are at least 5 to 10 The large majority of the slaves brought to the New World million insect species, but most of them have yet to be came from African ethnic groups. They included the Bantu described. from southern Africa (the Congo, Angola and Mozambique), as well as Samba, Moxicongo and Anjico, The dimensions and complexity of Brazil’s biodiversity, and ethnic groups from the north-western coast of Africa both marine and terrestrial, may mean that it will never be such as Nago, Jeje, Fanti, Achanti, Haussa, Mandinga, Tapa completely described. It is distributed through biomes such and Fula, originating from regions from Senegal to Nigeria. as the Amazon, the world’s largest remaining rain forest (40% of the world’s tropical forest), 3.7 million km² of which More than 170 different languages and dialects are lies within Brazil; the Cerrado of about 2 million km², currently spoken among the indigenous peoples of Brazil. including high altitude moorlands, the largest extent of Of these, only 10% have been completely described, a fact savannah in any single country; the Atlantic forest, which underlines our lack of knowledge