Some thoughts on habitat and biodiversity…
In February, 2024, the European Union (EU) adopted a law that will require member states to restore ecosystems. To reach the EU targets, member states must restore 30 per cent of forest, grassland, wetlands, lakes and river habitats by 2030. This target increases over time to 90 per cent by 2050.
The EU has set ambitious targets that will require significant investment and expertise. Because of climate change and the world’s loss of biodiversity, they have realized the importance of allocating significant resources to address this problem.
In our part of the world, particularly on the east coast of Vancouver Island, our governments have not recognized the importance of maintaining what little forest, streams and wetland ecosystems remain. We continue to develop in a manner that asserts human dominance over our landscapes.
Planning with nature rather than over nature seems a more prudent course. Would it not be better for our society to act today, at a fraction of the cost, to protect the limited remaining biodiversity and habitats in our communities and rural areas? If we continue our present course, we, like the European Union, will burden future generations with significant costs for restoration.
As a society we have an incredible wealth of knowledge held in the expertise of biologists, hydrologists, geotechnical engineers, planners, architects etc.
Yes, our society has a significant housing problem, and yes we need to develop some creative solutions. We need to harness the creative power and knowledge that exists in our society to plan and build in harmony with nature. We can meet housing goals AND protect our wetland, stream and forest biodiversity: we just need leadership and the will to do it.
As a society we have already created the conditions that will burden future generations with huge costs to adapt to climate change. We can avoid adding to this burden by taking action now to protect the limited healthy ecosystems and biodiversity that still remains on the east coast of Vancouver Island.
Greg Roberts,
Campbell River