Climate change hastening extinction of species: Experts

Jotirmay Thapliyal

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, February 7

Climate change continues to hit faunal biodiversity, leading to glaring changes in habitat and hastening up the generally long drawn process of extinction of species.

Dr George Schaller, a pioneer in the field of biology conservation, while talking to The Tribune today, said climate change was affecting the wildlife and habitat of various species.

He, however, said monitoring had begun vis-à-vis climate change, which was a good sign in terms of wildlife conservation. “Since 1963 when I came to India, tremendous progress has been made in terms of wildlife monitoring but still it is long way to go,” he said.

Dr Schaller said children needed to be sensitised on wildlife conservation. There had been a study in the US that children, particularly between the ages of seven to eight years who go to zoos, if given positive information, could bring a change in their attitude towards wildlife.

Dr Asad R Rahmani, a senior scientific adviser of Bombay Natural History Society, the oldest NGO working for wildlife conservation, said while extinction and evolution of faunal biodiversity was a natural process, climate change had hastened up the extinction process which was a matter of concern.

He stressed efforts needed to be undertaken to minimise the causes of climate change. Afforestation and other initiatives were important to take up the challenges of climate change. Like other wildlife species, climate change impacted the distribution and range of bird species, which was a fallout of changes in their habitat which obviously came due to climate change, Dr Rahmani added.

Dr George Schaller and Dr Asad R Rahmani were in Dehradun today in connection with a seminar on wildlife conservation at Wildlife Institute of India (WII) tomorrow.