Author Rasha Rehman / Published: June 1 2020
Word's Remaining Wilderness
As we think about protecting ourselves from future pandemics, we can also think about protecting the world’s remaining wilderness and marine life. Did you know 77% of land and 87% of water bodies have been altered by humans? These areas are inundated with pollution, inhabitation, mining, and deforestation.
What’s left of the world’s remaining wilderness is threatened too. Many endangered animals reside in a handful of landscapes. Where are these landscapes? And how much wilderness is left in the world? A map published by scientific journal, Nature showed that 20 countries (excluding Antarctica) host 94% of the world’s wilderness. These remaining ecosystems are home to MANY endangered species and are vital for regulating natural processes that keep our planet healthy!
Canada's boreal forest span Yukon and northern British Columbia to Newfoundland & Labrador. This zone has 150 bird species and is home to 70% of Aboriginal communities. Boreal birds like Canada Warbler, Evening Grosbeak and Rusty Blackbird are facing challenges ensued by climate change and habitat loss.
The cold, harsh climate of Alaska’s Tundra is home to many unique animals like arctic foxes, gray wolves, musk oxen, and mountain goats. With warmer temperatures, these animals are forced to move into new territory and compete with other animals for food and territory.
Inland river, Okavango Delta is located in northern Botswana and is home to many endangered animals like: Black Rhino, White Rhino, cheetah and African wild dog and lion.
Australia is one of the driest continents in the world with 10 deserts. These ecosystems are home to unique nocturnal and arid mammals like bilbies, kangaroos, wallabies, and bats.
The world’s largest tropical rainforest, Amazon is also the world’s most ecologically diverse! Though natural events like lightning can spark fires in the Amazon, the most recent fires in 2019 were attributed to deforestation.
It’s important to maintain these landscapes because these ecosystems help preserve biodiversity, are home to declining species and regulate necessary water and air cycles. Nearly 60% of wildlife has declined since 1970 because of human activity but not all hope is lost. The current global halt is sparking conversations on how to re-approach industries. And there’s so much we can do to protect the planet and conserve these places.
Check out these funds and organizations that are in place to protect earth’s remaining wilderness!
Rasha Rehman"Communication lead by day and media entrepreneur by night; Rasha is a passionate Toronto-based journalist. Adopting nutrition and fitness habits and striving to make a positive impact on the environment keeps Rasha going."
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