Statement of World Aquatic Scientific Societies on the Need to Take Urgent Action against Human-Caused Climate Change, Based on Scientific Evidence: Development and Overview.

Authors: Scott Bonar

Year: 2021

Abstract

The world’s aquatic resources are now under their greatest threat in human history and human-caused climate change is accelerating the degradation of aquatic ecosystems and the services they provide. 111 aquatic-science societies, including the Desert Fishes Council, representing over 80,000 scientists from all 7 continents authored a statement to the world’s public and policymakers. The statement summarized key scientific findings highlighting the effect of climate change on freshwater and marine aquatic ecosystems, and the people who depend on them (essentially everyone). These findings provide evidence of what effects are currently happening and why world policymakers and all of humankind need to act jointly and launch concerted actions now if they wish to mitigate these impacts. The statement was released September, 2020. Overviews of the statement have been reported in both scientific and popular press worldwide and show how the power of scientific societies and their associated scientists can be harnessed to collaborate across regions to draw attention to large-scale issues.