B(r)eaking Our Efforts: How the Russia-Ukraine War Has Disrupted International Biodiversity Conservation Efforts, Singapore’s Migratory Birds And More
- ejorigin
- Jul 13, 2023
- 4 min read
Updated: Feb 8
Written by: Marissa Tan (23-O1)
Designed by: Bernita Rayen (23-I1)
Why the war has such a devastating environmental effect
With a vast land mass of 17,098,246 km² (that’s almost 23, 500 Singapores), it comes as no surprise that Russia is a biodiversity hotspot housing rich habitats which provide shelter to a remarkable collection of flora and fauna, some of which are unique only to Russia. The country boasts a wide array of exceptional ecosystems, some of which include the Arctic tundra, steppe grasslands, and Siberian taiga.
The Forest Landscape Integrity Index for 2019 categorised into three broad, illustrative classes for each major forested country in the world.
The Forest Landscape Integrity Index for 2019 categorised into three broad, illustrative classes for each major forested country in the world.
The above illustrates the major forested countries and regions of the world. Among this list of giants, Russia is visibly more substantial in terms of not only geographical expanse, but more importantly in its possession of the largest land mass of high integrity, pristine forests. It is thus for this reason that the persisting conflict between Russia and Ukraine has wreaked such an extent of absolute havoc on the immense expanses of arable land, swathes of verdant vegetation and forests, and beloved and effortfully preserved national parks.
Furthermore, this conflict has caused significant damage to industrial facilities, resulting in severe pollution on all fronts (air, water, soil), thereby exposing the population (and environment) in those areas to hazardous and noxious chemicals as well as contaminated water sources. The devastating costs of the war on our precious ecosystems is entirely unsustainable, not for Russia, Ukraine, or the world.
Russia’s role in international conservation efforts
Russia also plays a major role in international conservation efforts, having been in over 50 international agreements for biodiversity conservation. Some examples include the Convention on Biological Diversity, the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership, the The Arctic Council, as well as ICARUS, an acronym for International Cooperation for Animal Research Using Space, which is a global monitoring network that enables scientists to track various species of birds and their migratory patterns. ICARUS relies heavily on Russian funding, sites, and cooperation to successfully carry out its conservation efforts, but with the ongoing war, these efforts have come to a standstill like many others have. With the state of war as is, it is difficult to access and collect data on many of the world’s major forests and tracking precious and endangered species of birds has become increasingly difficult. Unfortunately, it will require decades of restoration efforts to mitigate this dire issue, some impacts are perhaps even irreparable.
Case Study
The spoon-billed sandpiper (calidris pygmaea) is one commonly cited example of a critically endangered species. This was initially due to hunting and habitat loss as before the war it was reported that only less than 600 birds remain alive, but with the war ongoing, they may be facing the threat of extinction. Living in Russia’s treeless tundra in the high Arctic, a summer home of countless birds arriving from Africa, Southern Asia, Australia and South America, this species migrates during the Northern Hemisphere winter to Southeast Asia.
Cracking The Case In Singapore
The spoon-billed sandpiper serves as a study to understand the wider implications the war has had on our environment, especially pertaining to birds. According to a Straits Times article, Dr Yong Ding Li, regional coordinator for migratory bird conservation at BirdLife International, has stated that “Russian territory forms a large part of the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, which Singapore is a part of. Many species that winter in Singapore’s wetlands breed in ecosystems in Russian territory.” Though the effect of the war on habitats and ecosystems may not be immediate, negative impacts could trickle down to affect Singapore’s biodiversity in the longer term, having “ripple effects” on certain species of birds which migrate to Singapore. While the international community has been placing their best efforts to secure breeding grounds to preserve these species of birds, sanctions implemented on Russia, as well as the widespread destruction of forested areas, has impeded and stifled activities on the ground. Only time will tell to what extent the war will come to impact migratory birds, and on a greater scale, the natural environments and ecosystems around the world.
Only Regrets Await: What needs to be done?
For now, it seems that we are in an uncertain period where we’ve learnt how volatile and fragile our “systems of agreement” are for international cooperation on environmental conservation efforts, as said by Dr Gallo-Cajiao a David H. Smith post-doctoral fellow at the University of Washington. It seems we cannot afford to take these carefully crafted systems for granted, for though much sweat and blood has been poured into making these conservation efforts come into fruition, we also see how easily they can crumble and fall apart. Additionally, taking Singapore as an example, we can understand how the strife of war not only creates direct negative implications to wildlife (such as birds), forests, and ecosystems, but also how all these factors are inextricably linked to one another in a complex and nuanced system which can come around to affect us and our own local environment in ways we never expected. Now more than ever, we need to ensure the continuity of international cooperation and diplomacy that is carried out through civil conversations, talks, agreements, and negotiations, instead of resorting to guns and ammunition as the answer to settle our differences. For the sake of not only the migratory birds that make their way over to Singapore, but also for all of humanity, shouldn’t we try our best to avoid a world filled with the weight of human suffering and environmental degradation heavy on our shoulders? A native american proverb goes as such, “We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.”, and it is in such a light that we should pass on a world we all believe would be a better place to live in.
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