More than 47,000 species around the world are threatened with extinction, according to the latest update of a global Red List of endangered animals, plants and other organisms.
The figures from the International Union for Conservation of Nature highlight how factors such as deforestation and the expansion of agricultural and urban areas are causing an irreversible loss of species.
Plants and animals from the Middle East are among those threatened, with species of frankincense trees on Socotra, Yemen, now more at risk of extinction than in previous assessments. In total, 169,420 species of all kinds and from around the world have been assessed for the Red List, with 47,187 threatened.
Dr Alexander Lees, a reader in biodiversity at Manchester Metropolitan University, told The National that the loss of biodiversity, including species extinctions, had been characterised “as a planetary tipping point that we have collectively breached”.
“Extinctions are ongoing, despite lots of effort expended to try and save some of the most threatened species,” he said. “Historically, many of these took place on islands which were particularly vulnerable to impacts from invasive species, but now we are seeing the global extinction of continentally distributed species.”
What are the causes and consequences?
Additional factors threatening species include hunting and trapping, wildfires, pollution, invasive species and climate change. Dr Lees also indicated that species losses could have knock-on effects for people. For example, hornbills in South-East Asia can be vital for dispersing the seeds of trees, which is needed to extract carbon.
Conservation and sustainable development efforts had for too long performed interventions to address symptoms of the climate crisis, instead of addressing underlying causes, he added. “We need to mitigate the direct and indirect drivers at the root cause of the problems – our unsustainable patterns of production and consumption, our prevailing laws and policies, and even our norms, values and world views,” he said.
Biologists often say the world is experiencing its sixth mass extinction and, because only a fraction of species have been assessed for the Red List, the real number at risk of disappearing is likely to be much higher than is indicated by official figures.
What is the Red List?
The Red List classifies species as extinct, extinct in the wild, critically endangered, endangered, vulnerable, near threatened and of least concern.
Critically endangered, endangered and vulnerable organisms are considered to be threatened. There are two additional categories – data deficient, if insufficient information is available, and not evaluated.
Last year marked 60 years since the Red List was launched, with the IUCN World Conservation Congress to be held in Abu Dhabi in October.
Fungi protection takes centre stage
Fungi, which belong in their own kingdom and are neither animals nor plants, are a particular focus of the latest update. At least 411 of the 1,300 species assessed are at risk of extinction but, with there being about 155,000 known fungal species, less than one per cent have been analysed.
Dr Gregory Mueller, co-chairman an IUCN group that looks at certain types of fungi, told The National that until recently “there was no awareness that there were fungi that were threatened”.
It has become increasingly clear, however, that they are dependent on specific habitats, so they can be put at risk by the destruction of natural environments. “We now have enough information that we can say, yes, there are important groups of fungi that are threatened with extinction,” he added.
Fungi are essential for ecosystems because between 80 to 90 per cent of plants have a symbiotic or mutually beneficial relationship with fungi. The fungi contribute nutrients and the plants provide sugars from photosynthesis.
“Without these suites of fungi, our above-ground [environments], our trees and grassland and whatever else, would not be doing well,” Dr Mueller said. “On top of that, these are the fungi that are greatly involved with carbon sequestration. The trees capture carbon through photosynthesis and then that carbon is moved into the soil, into the fungi, and it’s the fungi that provide this long-term sequestration and put it deep into the soil.”
He added that fungi were “super important for the natural vegetation” of the Middle East. “The fact that [it has] a drier habitat, a desert climate, doesn’t mean that the vegetation is not dependent upon these fungi for their growth and survival,” he explained.
To protect fungi required better forest management, he said. That includes leaving enough mature trees when clearing areas, so habitats remain in place for fungi as forests are regenerated. Ensuring that clear cutting or mining does not take place in areas with threatened fungal species is also important.
Frankincense threatened
Six species of frankincense tree on Socotra have been moved from the vulnerable to the endangered category, indicating heightened concern. Three other species, assessed for the first time, have been classified as critically endangered.
One reason why the trees are threatened is a growth in the size of goat herds, which graze on the saplings. More frequent cyclones, flash floods and landslides have also damaged and uprooted trees.
Mohammed Amer, who manages a project to conserve the frankincense trees on Socotra, and who contributed to the IUCN assessment, said in a statement that the trees were “very important to our culture”. He added that local action was “essential to secure the future of Socotra’s frankincense trees”.
“Through building fences around young trees, local communities can protect them from goats, and produce frankincense honey for additional income,” he said.
The resin and bark of frankincense trees is used by indigenous people on Socotra, in traditional medicine and for religious practices. Although this use is currently well managed, the organisation said it must remain “local and proportionate to the rarity of the trees”.
Species in danger of extinction - in pictures
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IPL 2018 FINAL
Sunrisers Hyderabad 178-6 (20 ovs)
Chennai Super Kings 181-2 (18.3 ovs)
Chennai win by eight wickets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Points to remember
- Debate the issue, don't attack the person
- Build the relationship and dialogue by seeking to find common ground
- Express passion for the issue but be aware of when you're losing control or when there's anger. If there is, pause and take some time out.
- Listen actively without interrupting
- Avoid assumptions, seek understanding, ask questions
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
The specs: 2019 Haval H6
Price, base: Dh69,900
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 197hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 315Nm @ 2,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
THE 12 BREAKAWAY CLUBS
England
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur
Italy
AC Milan, Inter Milan, Juventus
Spain
Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid
South and West: From a Notebook
Joan Didion
Fourth Estate
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
- Flexible work arrangements
- Pension support
- Mental well-being assistance
- Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
- Financial well-being incentives
UAE v Ireland
1st ODI, UAE win by 6 wickets
2nd ODI, January 12
3rd ODI, January 14
4th ODI, January 16
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
The Details
Article 15
Produced by: Carnival Cinemas, Zee Studios
Directed by: Anubhav Sinha
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Sayani Gupta, Zeeshan Ayyub
Our rating: 4/5
Key changes
Commission caps
For life insurance products with a savings component, Peter Hodgins of Clyde & Co said different caps apply to the saving and protection elements:
• For the saving component, a cap of 4.5 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 90 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).
• On the protection component, there is a cap of 10 per cent of the annualised premium per year (which may not exceed 160 per cent of the annualised premium over the policy term).
• Indemnity commission, the amount of commission that can be advanced to a product salesperson, can be 50 per cent of the annualised premium for the first year or 50 per cent of the total commissions on the policy calculated.
• The remaining commission after deduction of the indemnity commission is paid equally over the premium payment term.
• For pure protection products, which only offer a life insurance component, the maximum commission will be 10 per cent of the annualised premium multiplied by the length of the policy in years.
Disclosure
Customers must now be provided with a full illustration of the product they are buying to ensure they understand the potential returns on savings products as well as the effects of any charges. There is also a “free-look” period of 30 days, where insurers must provide a full refund if the buyer wishes to cancel the policy.
“The illustration should provide for at least two scenarios to illustrate the performance of the product,” said Mr Hodgins. “All illustrations are required to be signed by the customer.”
Another illustration must outline surrender charges to ensure they understand the costs of exiting a fixed-term product early.
Illustrations must also be kept updatedand insurers must provide information on the top five investment funds available annually, including at least five years' performance data.
“This may be segregated based on the risk appetite of the customer (in which case, the top five funds for each segment must be provided),” said Mr Hodgins.
Product providers must also disclose the ratio of protection benefit to savings benefits. If a protection benefit ratio is less than 10 per cent "the product must carry a warning stating that it has limited or no protection benefit" Mr Hodgins added.
Sheer grandeur
The Owo building is 14 storeys high, seven of which are below ground, with the 30,000 square feet of amenities located subterranean, including a 16-seat private cinema, seven lounges, a gym, games room, treatment suites and bicycle storage.
A clear distinction between the residences and the Raffles hotel with the amenities operated separately.
Results:
CSIL 2-star 145cm One Round with Jump-Off
1. Alice Debany Clero (USA) on Amareusa S 38.83 seconds
2. Anikka Sande (NOR) For Cash 2 39.09
3. Georgia Tame (GBR) Cash Up 39.42
4. Nadia Taryam (UAE) Askaria 3 39.63
5. Miriam Schneider (GER) Fidelius G 47.74
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 502hp at 7,600rpm
Torque: 637Nm at 5,150rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: from Dh317,671
On sale: now
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
Temple numbers
Expected completion: 2022
Height: 24 meters
Ground floor banquet hall: 370 square metres to accommodate about 750 people
Ground floor multipurpose hall: 92 square metres for up to 200 people
First floor main Prayer Hall: 465 square metres to hold 1,500 people at a time
First floor terrace areas: 2,30 square metres
Temple will be spread over 6,900 square metres
Structure includes two basements, ground and first floor
