THE UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME - tk … fileISRMUN 2015 Instituto San Roberto Ave. Real San Agustín No. 4 CP. 66260 Garza García, N.L México. + (52) (81) 8625 1500 E-mail:

��

ISRMUN 2015 Instituto San Roberto

Ave. Real San Agustín No. 4 CP. 66260 Garza García, N.L México. + (52) (81) 8625 1500 E-mail: [email protected]

�

THE UNITED NATIONSDEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME

mailto:[email protected]


��



Committee: The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Topic A: Alleviating the Ecosystem Imbalances Caused by the Rapid Increase of Climate Change Written by: Daniela Villarreal Villarreal and Ximena Flores Salinas

I. Committee Background

Founded on January 1st, 1966, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

advocates change and provides resources to help people sustain a better life. The UNDP works in

177 countries and operates alongside governments to improve nations by providing guidance,

coaching and vast support. The UNDP was established entirely by voluntary contributions from

member nations and the main areas the committee works on are: HIV/AIDS, poverty reduction,

democratic governance, energy and environment, social development, and crisis prevention and

recovery. These objectives mainly support target number seven of the Millennium Development

Goals, which are set to be achieved by 2015. The UNDP’s main headquarters are located in New

York City and the current Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme is Helen

Clark. Besides working with volunteers and providing help to growing economies, the UNDP

supports the protection of human rights, the empowerment of women, minorities and the most

vulnerable. The United Nations Development Programme is focused on encouraging countries to

grow towards development.

�



��



II. Topic information

A) History of Topic

An ecosystem is the environment where living things live and interact with nonliving things.

Some include: coral reefs, forests, grasslands, farms, etc. Ecosystem imbalances are when a natural

or human-caused disturbance disrupts the natural balance of an ecosystem (Ecological Imbalance:

It’s Causes and Effects in the Biosphere, 2011). This has taken away environments and habitats from

species. Human actions are having a major impact on the ecosystems and are affecting the weather.

Improper disposal of toxic waste and synthetic products is one of the main causes of this problem.

Furthermore, when a predator or a foreign species is introduced to a new ecosystem, the balance is

completely disrupted since the food chain is changed. The world is facing ecosystem imbalances

now more than ever, climate change is not only harming animals but is also aggravating health,

energy, water resources and agriculture.

Since the beginning of time, Earth’s ecological balance has suffered discrepancies due to

natural causes such as forest fires, floods, volcanic eruptions and other natural disasters. Moreover,

for the past 50 years, it has turned more into human-caused actions that provoked the problem.

Studies in Greenland show that humans have been the dominant cause of global warming since the

1950s. (The latest report from the IPCC, October 2013; IPCC climate report: humans 'dominant

cause' of warming, 2013). In the 1970s, big climate changes began to be noticed; droughts in Africa,

Ukraine and India began to lead to a world food crisis.

�



��



Equally important, by 1978, deforestation and habitat loss were considered as top priorities

for the future. Nations began to unite creating conferences and programmes to work on the issue;

the Villach Conference, the Montreal Protocol of the Vienna Convention, the Toronto Conference,

and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, along with many more applied strict

restrictions on companies emitting ozone-destroying gases and greenhouse gases. The 20 warmest

years have occurred since 1981, causing greater imbalances in the ecosystem. (Global Warming - 6

February 2015) Additionally, at least five animals have gone extinct due to these discrepancies since

that same year. (10 Recently Extinct Animals, 2009)

Since the last couple of decades, humans have began using natural resources more than ever

such as water and wood. This has finally shown the effects in the world, worrying scientists and

ecologists. In 1988, the World Conference on the Changing Atmosphere: Implications for Global

Security declared how the use of the “3 R's” (Recycle, Reduce and Reuse) was essential in the near

future and that by 2005, gas emissions had to decrease by 20%.

Now, immediate precautions have to be taken, since the ecosystem imbalances are greatly

affecting both animals and the human race. The global surface temperature is set to rise in the next

years, while regions are becoming warmer and ice in the poles is turning into water. According to the

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), “human activities, such as agriculture and

urbanization, are increasingly destroying Earth's natural habitats, and frequently block plants and

�



��



animals from successfully migrating” resulting as the ecosystem imbalances’ side effects. According

to NASA scientists, by 2100, the ecosystem changes and gas emissions will cause plant communities

to expand and cover almost half of the planet; invading spaces where other species inhabit due to

their fight for survival, causing humans and animals to frequently re-adapt if measures are not taken.

(NASA - Climate Change May Bring Big Ecosystem Changes, 2011).

B) Current Issues Australia: Australia is home to many animals, but it currently faces the issue of ecological

imbalance. Australian animals and plants become vulnerable after spending long periods of time

under extreme temperatures. In other words, species that can tolerate an ecological imbalance will

take the place of those species that are sensitive to climate change. Some species will decline in

abundance or become extinct, others will increase in amplitude, causing ecological discrepancies.

Due to climate irregularities, around 1,100 people have died (Some Hard Facts about Water Crisis)

and Australia’s Great barrier reef, a wonder of the natural world and the only living thing visible from

space, is already facing coral bleaching. Within the predicted temperature changes over the next 50

years, Australian environments will be very different from those we see today.

Nigeria: As a developing country, Nigeria’s reaction to climate change is very sensitive. A big

part of the economy of Nigeria depends on natural resources, which in this case are powerless due

to the climate change in the country. When those resources are affected, communities are found

compromised. Disease, loss of habitats and settlements can force all the communities into relocation

�



��



or complete extinction. The biggest consequences that can be caused by climate irregularities are:

storms, floods, hurricanes, droughts, increased frequency of fires, poverty and malnutrition. Some of

these effects are already a problem for the country, and the increase of these would only worsen the

country’s condition.

Bangladesh: Due to its location, Bangladesh has always suffered from lack of water sources,

especially during the dry season. The ecological imbalances currently threaten Bangladesh with the

sea levels rising, making certain regions of the country flood in the near future. Besides being

impacted by many natural disasters such as monsoons, cyclones and floods, ecological discrepancies

also affect the country economically. Agricultural issues will come to the surface when Bangladesh

becomes incapable of resisting the ecological imbalances and unable to keep up with the

production of organic food that is made from planting.

Malawi: Malawi is one of the most affected countries due to climate change and this has

impacted agriculture production which is the foundation of the country. Intense rainfall, changing

precipitation patterns, floods, droughts and prolonged dry spells are some of the various impacts

that this country has had from climate change. As a consequence of this, households currently face a

variety of problems including HIV/AIDS and poverty. This is due to agriculture reduction; laborers

lessen in money and as a result the country becomes low on hygiene plus the amount of food

accessible to locals decreases.

�



��



United States: Oregon biologists claim loss of habitat for predators has led to a change in

the American environment. No trace remains of the wolves in Washington state, animal that used to

be a lot of. Settlers and trappers killed them all in little time more than three decades ago. This

causes an imbalance because without predators the food chain is affected and others animals’

amount increase. The United States is also developing a budget of approximately $20 million dollars

to be used on the issue, and a large part of this budget is destined to go to cleaning contaminated

aquifers, area where many animals are being affected.

Philippines: The Philippines has several rivers whose conditions are getting worse due to

several ecological imbalances; widespread pollution, continuous human activities, natural

phenomena and coral reef bleaching, affecting more than 95% of corals in the country (The

Philippines Pampanga River Scores Well in IBI Ecological Test). Although several aquatic regions

have been able to recover on their own, the Philippines is trying to find new technologies to monitor

the temperature and level of nutrients in the water. The Index of Biotic Integrity is also trying to

monitor the fish, especially since these are currently the most affected by ecological imbalances.

Russia: In Russia, a country world renowned for its frigid temperatures, one billion dollars are

lost every year to illegal logging (Environmental Problems in Russia). This happens because Russia is

really cold all the time so citizens do illegal logging to stay warm. This causes the environment to

rapidly change from cold to hot leading to no more logs. This is why logging has a system and

�



��



people is used to skipping of all the paperwork and conduct illegal logging. Another consequence

of illegal logging is the risks and pressure put on the wildlife in Russia’s forests such as the

capercaillie, white-backed woodpecker, Siberian tiger and the Far Eastern leopard. Logging has

caused damages to every aspect of Russian society and it is not good for future generations.

China: China has seven of the most polluted cities in the world. Their main problem is air

pollution which causes several diseases such as; chronic respiratory disease, cancer, premature illness

and death. In addition, it create acid rain. Acid rain causes a chain reaction; it rains, the water gets

into the soil and consequently, due to the acid, it damages the soil and land. Studies show that acid

rain has affected more than one-third of the land in China (Acid Rain in China; Outlining the Causes,

Distribution and Impacts, 2015). These quick climate changes have been disturbing China’s

environment in a very bad way, delaying China’s economy. The country currently has the objective of,

with a five year plan, to reduce fossil energy consumption, promote low-carbon energy sources, and

restructure China’s economy to eventually solve the acidification problem.

C) UN Action

The UNDP is currently encouraging countries to implement their obligations under the

Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) and integrating environmental concerns into national

strategies; secure resources; implementing programmes that advance inclusive, sustainable

development, and strengthen livelihoods. Something the UNDP also does is that they help countries

obtain money from the following funding organizations: the Global Environment Facility (GEF),

�



��



Multilateral Fund (MLF), and Adaptation Fund (AF), gathering more than $2 billion dollars for 150

countries to help them achieve their goals.

III. Conclusion

We conclude that working on climate change is essential nowadays since the impact of

ecosystem imbalances is becoming bigger and affecting more areas every day. Many animals and

habitats are currently endangered and this is due to the fact that human activities are done without

precaution. These activities, along with climate change, later create the discrepancies that currently

affect more than 12 countries. It is evident that although several governments are working towards

the recovery of this issue, more need to join, as well as non-governmental organization and

especially since this is a problem that we are losing control of. Additionally, we must also remember

that the ecosystem imbalances are affecting large amounts of rivers and lakes which are essential for

life to exist. Solutions need to be applied soon to avoid the expansion of these discrepancies.

IV. Essential Questions 1. What are ecological imbalances? 2. What is your delegation doing to solve this issue? 3. Are there any NGOs from your country working to help? 4. How big is this issue in your country? Why? 5. Is your delegation involved in any treaty or agreement regarding this topic? Which ones? 6. How can your delegation provide help to other countries? 7. Are there laws in your country that help the issue? Which ones? 8. If your delegation is doing something about the problem, is it working? Why or why not? 9. How can you improve your delegation’s state?

�



��



V. Resources 1. "Absence of Wolves Causes Imbalance in US Ecosystem, Say Scientists." The Guardian. N.p.,

n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2015. <http%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fenvironment%2F2009%2Fjan%2F29%2Fendangered-habitats-washington-state >.

2. "Acid Rain in China; Outlining the Causes, Distribution and Impacts." Understanding ModernChina.N.p.,18Mar.2014.Web.24Feb.2015.<https://uosm2018.wordpress.com/2014/03/18/acid-rain-in-china-outlining-the-causes-distribution-and-impacts/ >.

3. "BNRCC - Building Nigeria's Response To Climate Change." BNRCC - Building Nigeria's R e s p o n s e To C l i m a t e C h a n g e . N . p . , n . d . We b . 2 4 F e b . 2 0 1 5 . < h t t p : / /www.nigeriaclimatechange.org/ccinfo.php >.

4. "China and Climate Change." China and Climate Change. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2015. <http://www.c2es.org/international/key-country-policies/china >.

5. "Climate and Disaster Resilience." Climate and Disaster Resilience. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2015. <http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/ourwork/climate-and-disaster-resilience/overview.html >.

6. "CLIMATE CHANGE IN MALAWI | ActionAid." CLIMATE CHANGE IN MALAWI | ActionAid.N.p.,n.d.Web.24Feb.2015.<http://www.actionaid.org/malawi/stories/climate-change-malawi >

7. "Coral Bleaching." Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park. N.p.,n.d.Web.24Feb.2015. <http://tubbatahareef.org/wp/coral_bleaching >.

8. "Ecological Balance." WWF -. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2015. <http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/teacher_resources/webfieldtrips/ecological_balance/ >.

�


http://2Fwww.theguardian.com

https://uosm2018.wordpress.com/2014/03/18/acid-rain-in-china-outlining-the-causes-distribution-and-impacts/

http://www.nigeriaclimatechange.org/ccinfo.php

http://www.c2es.org/international/key-country-policies/china

http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/ourwork/climate-and-disaster-resilience/overview.html

http://www.actionaid.org/malawi/stories/climate-change-malawi

http://tubbatahareef.org/wp/coral_bleaching

http://wwf.panda.org/about_our_earth/teacher_resources/webfieldtrips/ecological_balance/


��



9. "Ecosystem Change." : 1. How Have Ecosystems Changed? N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2015.<http://www.greenfacts.org/en/ecosystems/millennium-assessment-2/1-ecosystem-change.htm#0 >.

10. "Ecological Imbalance: It’s Causes and Effects in the Biosphere." HubPages. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Jan. 2015. <http://kendeanagudo.hubpages.com/hub/-Ecological-Imbalance-Its-Causes-and-Effects-in-the-Biosphere >.

11. "Environment and Natural Capital." UNDP. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2015. <http%3A%2F%2Fwww.undp.org%2Fcontent%2Fundp%2Fen%2Fhome%2Fourwork%2Fsustainable-development%2Fnatural-capital-and-the-environment%2F >.

12. "Environmental Problems in Russia." WWF -. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2015. <http://wwf.panda.org/who_we_are/wwf_offices/russia/environmental_problems_russia/ >.

13. "Global Climate Change: Evidence." Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Jan. 2015. <http://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/ >

14. "Global Warming." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 13 Jan. 2015. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming >.

15. "Global Warming Timeline." Global Warming Timeline. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Jan. 2015. <http://www.aip.org/history/climate/timeline.htm >

16. "Some Hard Facts about Water Crisis." Water and Ecological Balance. N.p., n.d. Web. 24Feb.2015.<http://www.irfi.org/articles/articles_551_600/water_and_ecological_balance.htm >.

17. "The Philippines Pampanga River Scores Well in IBI Ecological Test." Asia Research News.N.p.,n.d.Web.24Feb.2015.<http://www.researchsea.com/html/article.php/aid/3114/cid/1>

�


http://www.greenfacts.org/en/ecosystems/millennium-assessment-2/1-ecosystem-change.htm#0

http://kendeanagudo.hubpages.com/hub/-Ecological-Imbalance-Its-Causes-and-Effects-in-the-Biosphere

http://2Fwww.undp.org

http://wwf.panda.org/who_we_are/wwf_offices/russia/environmental_problems_russia/

http://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming

http://www.aip.org/history/climate/timeline.htm

http://www.irfi.org/articles/articles_551_600/water_and_ecological_balance.htm

http://www.researchsea.com/html/article.php/aid/3114/cid/1


��



18. "Top 10 Countries Most Affected by Global Warming | Alternative." Before It's News. N.p.,n.d.Web.24Feb.2015.<http://beforeitsnews.com/alternative/2013/06/top-10-countries-most-affected-by-global-warming-2682796.html >.

19. "Top 10 Countries Most Affected by Global Warming." Top 10 Lists. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Feb.2015.<http://top-10-list.org/2013/06/14/top-10-countries-affected-by-global-warming/2/ >.

20. "UN '95% Sure' Humans Cause Warming." BBC News. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Feb. 2015.<http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-24292615 >

21. "U.S. Climate Extremes Index (CEI)." U.S. Climate Extremes Index (CEI). N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Jan. 2015. <http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/extremes/cei/ >

22. "What Is the Ecosystem?" What Is the Ecosystem? N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2015. <http://www.innovateus.net/earth-matters/what-ecosystem#What+are+the+Causes+of+ecological+imbalance%3F >.

�



http://beforeitsnews.com/alternative/2013/06/top-10-countries-most-affected-by-global-warming-2682796.html

http://top-10-list.org/2013/06/14/top-10-countries-affected-by-global-warming/2/

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-24292615

http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/extremes/cei/

http://www.innovateus.net/earth-matters/what-ecosystem#What+are+the+Causes+of+ecological+imbalance%3F

Documents

THE UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME - tk … fileISRMUN 2015 Instituto San Roberto Ave. Real San Agustín No. 4 CP. 66260 Garza García, N.L México. + (52) (81) 8625 1500 E-mail: