Forest fires, the loss of biodiversity, pollution and the increase in waste and residue in ecosystems are some of the main ecological risks and challenges facing the world. In 2022, the UN declared that the planet is in “emergency mode” for the environment.

Short-term ecological risks are a major concern around the world, including air pollution, deforestation, loss of biodiversity and, above all, climate change and its consequences, as well as such as the indiscriminate and abusive use of pesticides and the increase in waste derived mainly from plastic, which can also be an ecological risk in the short term, since they can kill susceptible organisms and momentarily affect the physiological balance of all exposed organisms. to them, including human beings.

After the recent global pandemic, social risks have also been detected, including loss of social cohesion, humanitarian crises or deterioration of mental health.

But despite everything, climate change is the most important long-term ecological risk, as rising global temperatures are causing an increase in extreme weather events such as droughts, floods and forest fires. These phenomena are having a devastating impact on ecosystems and human communities, affecting the loss of biodiversity, which represents an important ecological risk in the short, medium and long term since the loss of species and ecosystems is threatening the health of the planet and the ability of humans to meet its needs.

Likewise, the degradation of ecosystems is a risk that is reducing their biodiversity, causing the extinction or decline of some species, which affects the food chain and therefore endangers the survival of their predators. .

The degradation of ecosystems also affects human life, since the reduction or decline of insects, reptiles, rodents and small mammals can contribute to reducing the capacity of ecosystems to provide essential services for modern humans, mainly due to the effects it can have on livestock and intensive agriculture, or contributing to the deforestation of forests and the increase in pollution.

These ecological risks are interrelated and aggravate each other, for example, climate change is contributing to the loss of biodiversity and the degradation of ecosystems, while pollution is contributing to climate change and the loss of biodiversity, creating a vicious circle that is encouraged. in the increase in pollution throughout the planet and the continued emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

Many of the problems outlined above will continue to be present in the short term, but they will become less important mainly due to the risks related to climate and global warming as these become more evident, which will be will become the main environmental problem of the coming decades.

During recent years, humans have begun to become aware that nature is suffering from the excessive exploitation of its resources and the contamination of ecosystems, significantly increasing the perception of the consequences it can have for the lives of all of us.

However, given the limited progress after the Paris agreement in 2021, we are heading towards a scenario in which there could be an increase in temperatures greater than 1.5º, the maximum limit established in the agreement in France, having to reduce global greenhouse emissions by more than 20% to meet the initially set objective.

Animal species, insects and plants are in turn seriously threatened by the consequences of this increase in temperature, by promoting fires, heat waves and droughts among other adverse phenomena.

Similarly, the increase in temperatures would affect our crop fields, especially threatening the production of cereals such as wheat, corn or rice.

The commitment to renewable energy, and the objectives set in the so-called “Green Deal” of the European Union, establish clear objectives for 2050, through policies on climate, energy, transport and taxation that allow us to reduce net gas emissions greenhouse effect by at least 55% in 2030, compared to 2019.

The next global climate change summit, COP28, to be held from November 30 to December 12, 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, should be an important event to assess the progress made in the implementation of the Paris Agreement and to agree new measures to address climate change. It will address aspects such as evaluating the progress made in reducing greenhouse gases and adapting to the effects of climate change. In addition, new measures must be agreed to reduce gas emissions, which must be more ambitious than the current ones, seeking to limit global warming to 1.5º and finally, they must strengthen the adaptation of the most vulnerable countries to climate change so that they can adapt to the changes that are already occurring, such as droughts, floods and extreme weather events.

This new meeting will be a key event for the future of the planet and will determine whether the world is on the right path to avoid the worst effects of climate change.

Thus, it is expected that this latest meeting will focus on the increase in the creation and use of energy production facilities based on renewable energies and the gradual abandonment of fossil fuels. Likewise, the consolidation of the so-called “Loss and Damage Fund” is expected, created to provide economic and technological resources with which to face losses and damages caused by the effects of climate change, which according to estimates will need to have more than 2 billion dollars annually, starting in 2030.