04 March 2019 Report

Frontiers 2018/19: Emerging Issues of Environmental Concern

Authors: UN Environment
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For more than 10 years, UNEP has sought to identify and draw attention to emerging issues of environmental concern. The UNEP Frontiers’ report  continues to advance this work, signaling environmental issues and solutions for effective and timely responses. Some issues may be local, relatively small-scale issues today, with a potential to become an issue of regional or global concern if not addressed early.

What emerging issues are presented the Frontiers’ 2018/19 report?

  1. In this edition, the Synthetic Biology chapter delves into the continuously advancing methods of gene-editing, their biological and ecological benefits, along with their potential risks and unintended consequences.
     
  2. The Ecological Connectivity chapter discusses the consequences of widespread fragmentation of natural landscapes and the critical need to restore the connectivity of our ecosystems.
     
  3. The Permafrost Peatlands chapter draws attention to the melting of Arctic regions and the devastating consequences that could occur if melted peatlands release their vast stores of greenhouse gases.
     
  4. The Nitrogen Fix chapter talks about global nitrogen pollution, its impact on the environment, and how to address it.
  1. The Maladaptation chapter explores how some methods we use to adapt to climate change fail, leading to increased vulnerability.

 

A per chapter breakdown of this report is available on the right column of this page. To view this report in other UN languages, please click on "Languages" on top right of header

Ecological connectivity: A bridge to preserving biodiversity

Large-scale industrialization has resulted in widespread fragmentation of previously intact landscapes around the globe. From the clearance of richly populated rainforests to the damming of mighty, arterial rivers, the knock-on effect of isolated, impacted ecosystems is detrimental to the health of flora and fauna alike, and in severe cases, threatens species extinction.

The nitrogen fix: From nitrogen cycle pollution to nitrogen circular economy

Nitrogen is one of the most abundant natural elements and largely benign in its unreactive forms. However, too much of a good thing can be detrimental, and excess nitrogen pollution has grave impacts on ecosystems and humans alike. In the form of nitrous oxide, it is 300 times more powerful than carbon dioxide 

Risks and potential rewards of synthetic biology

Synthetic biology could indirectly benefit conservation efforts by allowing the development of artificial alternatives to commercial products normally sourced from the wild. For example, the blood of the horseshoe crab is a major biomedical commodity used to test pharmaceuticals for bacterial contamination.