Biodiversity in Japan

Biodiversity is an important concept that supports our daily lives. However, its penetration into society is still low. For example, according to a survey conducted by the Cabinet Office, 70% of respondents in Japan have heard of the term “biodiversity,” but only about 30% can explain what the term means. So what is biodiversity?

What is biodiversity?
Why is biodiversity important?
Biodiversity in Japan
Global and Japanese movements for Biodiversity Conservation
More about biodiversity in Japan

What is biodiversity?

First, there are three levels of biodiversity. They are genetic diversity, species diversity, and ecosystem diversity. Collectively, these are called biodiversity.

Genetic diversity refers to the fact that some individuals of the same species of organisms have different patterns and colors.
Species diversity refers to the variety of organisms that exist. Biodiversity, as most people tend to imagine it, is this diversity of species.
Ecosystem diversity refers to the variety of habitats for organisms, such as mountains, oceans, and rivers.

The definition of diversity in the Convention on Biological Diversity is “the variability among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems.

In other words, biodiversity is a highly-connected, intricate concept that encompasses not only the abundance of organisms, but also their genes and habitats. Oversimplification of the concept of “having more is better” is not the right understanding. In nature, the perfect balance of biodiversity allows many organisms, including humans, to live comfortably.

Why is biodiversity important?

Biodiversity is the foundation for achieving SDGs

The first reason why biodiversity is important is that it is positioned as the foundation for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs, which aim to “leave no one behind,” are often compared to a three-tiered wedding cake to show the relationship among the 17 goals. The environment-related goal, which is the foundation of the lowest tier, is said to support the achievement of the social and economic goals above it, so that if the environment-related goal is not achieved, it will be difficult to achieve the SDGs as a whole.

Benefits us humans too! Introducing various ecosystem services

People also benefit a lot from a healthy biodiversity and natural environment. These are called ecosystem services. There are four types of ecosystem services:

Provisioning services are food and medicine.
Regulating services include pollination by insects and birds.
Supporting services include access to safe water.
Cultural services include recreation.

We included some examples, but our comfortable lives and well-being are supported by a rich natural environment with balanced and healthy biodiversity.

There is a movement to regard the natural environment, including biodiversity, as natural capital and to demonstrate its importance. For example, half of global GDP (about $58 trillion) is moderately to highly dependent on nature and exposed to significant natural risks.

The loss of biodiversity affects our lives in many harmful ways, including the deterioration of climate change, food and water shortages, the spread of disease, and the inability to enjoy the same scenery all the time when we travel.

Japan is one of the world’s leading biodiversity hotspots

Japan has a diverse range of habitats and habitats for a variety of organisms due to its long north-south land length adjacent to the Eurasian continent, the difference in elevation from coast to mountain, the thousands of islands, and the climate conditions with four distinct seasons under the influence of the monsoon. Japan is characterized by a high percentage of endemic species: approximately 40% of land mammals and vascular plants, 60% of reptiles, and 80% of amphibians are endemic.

Biodiversity hotspots are places that are rich in biodiversity but are threatened with extinction. These have been identified by Conservation International (CI), an international environmental NGO, based on its own research activities. Today, they have become indispensable indicators for promoting biodiversity conservation. Currently, 36 sites around the world have been identified as biodiversity hotspots. In Japan, all of the more than 3,000 islands and islets that make up the Japanese archipelago are considered to be hotspots.

For example, Amami Oshima Island, located in the south of Japan, is home to the endemic Amami rabbit. This rabbit is found only on Amami Oshima and the neighboring island of Tokunoshima, and its appearance and other characteristics are different from those of ordinary rabbits. In addition to the Amami rabbit, birds and rodents that only live in this area can be seen, and the forests are different from those in Hokkaido and Tohoku. Amami Oshima was nominated for World Heritage status based on the criteria of “biodiversity” and was recognized as a World Heritage site in July 2021, together with the northern part of Okinawa Island and other areas.

Four crises of biodiversity

Biodiversity enriches our lives, but reports indicate that Japan’s biodiversity and ecosystem services have been experiencing loss and degradation over the past 50 years. The “four crises of biodiversity” have been identified as contributing factors to this trend, and are explicitly mentioned in Japan’s National Biodiversity Strategy.

First crisis: Crisis caused by human activities such as development (destruction of nature due to development, etc.)
Second crisis: Crisis caused by the reduction of efforts to manage nature (ecosystem imbalance due to lack of management of satoyama and other areas, and animal damage).
Third crisis: Crisis caused by things brought by humans (pollution by alien species and chemical substances)
Fourth crisis: Crisis caused by global environmental changes (climate change and ocean acidification)

Global and Japanese movements for Biodiversity Conservation

Japan is not the only country where biodiversity is in crisis. Therefore, at the 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity held in December 2022, a new common global framework called the “Kunming Montreal Biodiversity Framework” was established. This framework also includes the mission to take urgent action to halt and reverse biodiversity loss to put nature on a path to recovery for the benefit of people and the planet, commonly called “Nature Positive.”

Each country will take the “Kunming Montreal Biodiversity Framework” and develop a national strategy based on its own national circumstances. This is the National Biodiversity Strategy. Japan also adopted the strategy, “National Biodiversity Strategic and Action Plan 2023-2030,” in March 2023, and various stakeholders, including government, NGOs, researchers, educational institutions, local residents, and young people, are working together to restore biodiversity.

For example, as part of Japan’s efforts, the Ministry of the Environment has taken the lead in establishing the Japan Conference for 2030 Global Biodiversity Framework (J-GBF) in November 2021. This platform is an organization to promote the participation and collaboration of all sectors in Japan, including the national government, local governments, businesses, citizens, NGOs, and youth, in order to achieve the Kunming Montreal Biodiversity Framework and Japan’s National Biodiversity Strategy, and to promote initiatives for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. The organization promotes the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

In addition, an organizational body consisting of voluntary companies, local governments, and organizations, called the “30 by 30 Alliance,” has also been established. This organization was established to work toward a common global framework of conserving at least 30% of Japan’s terrestrial and marine areas by 2030.

More about biodiversity in Japan

It is true that biodiversity is difficult to understand as a concept, and there is a large aspect of it that we do not know how to tackle. However, it is important to first recognize that our daily lives are supported by healthy biodiversity. Also, given the low level of awareness of biodiversity, it is necessary to first talk about it and create an environment in which society as a whole can use biodiversity as a common language. Here are more information about biodiversity in Japan that you can learn and share with those close to you.