A new report from the UN shows nature is declining globally at unprecedented rates, and there will likely be grave impacts on people and species around the world.
According to the report, one million of the world’s species are now at risk of extinction.
Australia is particularly affected, with record numbers of the nation’s wildlife species facing imminent extinction.
“During the federal election campaign all the major parties have been silent on the issue of living infrastructure and biodiversity, particularly in and around our cities and towns,” says AILA chief executive officer Tim Arnold.
“There is a lack of sufficient strategy on how to deal with living infrastructure at the federal level of government and the result is issues like those raised in the UN report. This is just another piece of evidence that the time for action is now and a Living Infrastructure Strategy would be one of the tools the federal government could deploy as part of Australia’s solution to this global and domestic crisis.
“A Living Infrastructure strategy provides a framework to protect and enhance urban and peri-urban ecological and biological systems. As cities grow in population and increase in density, protecting and managing urban ecosystem services such as water and air quality, biodiversity and ecological communities will require a far more integrated approach.”
Image credit: Shutterstock
