Paige Diner

October 2007

Complex Dynamical Systems


Millennium Ecosystem Assessment:


Homepage: http://www.millenniumassessment.org/en/index.aspx


Reports on site:



















Living Beyond Our Means:

Natural Assets and Human Well-Being

(Millennium Ecosystem Assessment)


In 2000, Kofi Annan introduced the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment to the United Nations in order to instill a sense of global well-being and sustainability in the new millennium. The reports presented conveyed crucial messages concerning the ecosystem including, “everyone in the world depends on nature and ecosystem services to provide the conditions for a decent, healthy, and secure life,” and “the pressures on ecosystems will increase globally in coming decades unless human attitudes and actions change” (3).

The depletion of resources and environment is a vital and increasing problem in today's world. Among the most paramount are the fish population, water supply, climate change, and nutrient pollution (3). Overfishing has caused a widespread shortage of fish, and the total weight of harvested fish in now less than one tenth of what it used to be. In the past 40 years, the water consumption has doubled, and humans use up to 50% of the Earth's fresh water. There is currently three to six times more artificially stored water (dams) than in natural water sources. Currently 24% of Earth's surface has become cultivated land (farmland), 35% of the mangroves are gone, and 40% of the coral reefs are destroyed or damaged. Humans emit more nitrogen that all of the natural production together, and since 1860, the flow of nitrogen to the oceans itself has doubled (10). These aspects of a progressive world are being altered due to human activity, demands, and decisions.


As forests and savanna made way for farms, as rivers were diverted to irrigate fields, and as new technology enabled fishing vessels to haul ever-greater harvests from the oceans, the recent changes made to natural systems have helped not just to feed a rapidly growing human population but to improve the lives of billions.


In the midst of this unprecedented period of spending Earth's natural bounty, however, it is time to check the accounts. (page 5)


This statement asks people to increase their awareness of the depletion of Earth's resources based on everyday necessities. The document makes one aware that almost two thirds of the Earth's natural resources are currently declining. The report also claims that by simply ignoring the “sobering” issue, one is ridding future generations of a bountiful Earth and their dreams of mending world hunger and poverty. To further this argument, the report insists that it is not too late to restore the Earth to its natural productivity but making wiser decisions and making an effort (5).

The document refers to our food intake as “a service of nature” (7). It conjures a powerful reminder that true worth is rarely recognized until something is lost or it is too late. Many resources which appear futile, such as a swamp, may actually provide resources to better a community. Swamps and wetlands produce many useful plants as well as provide pollution and flood control. The report calls to one's attention that “appreciation of the natural world is an important part of what makes us human (9).” Without surrounding wildlife and natural systems, a vital aspect of human life would be erased; the choices made now are bound to affect the future of the natural world.

Throughout the last half of the twentieth century, the Earth's ecosystem has been more negatively affected by humans than in any other time period. In order to maintain a progressive city, resources become depleted halfway around the world. Almost 25% of Earth's surface have been converted into farmland. These farms require fertilizers which contain phosphorus and nitrogen, eventually polluting bodies of water and mutation the vegetation within them. The poisonous fertilizers lead to anoxia; they rid the water of essential oxygen. Many bodies of water no longer connect to the ocean because of the increasing need for irrigation and water supply. This is having a negative effect on aquatic life and birds. Overpopulation and tourism have greatly reduced the areas covered by mangroves and coral reefs. These natural barriers offer protection during tidal waves and tsunamis (12).

The “globalization of nature” had drastically altered Earth's natural systems (12). The transport of flora and fauna changes and may even destroy the indigenous forms of life in new territories. Most of the time this transport has a motive, but often it is accidental. For example, many ships carry small aquatic creatures from place to place.

Coal, oil, and natural gas have become our most prominent source of fuel and energy. The fossilized and trapped carbon within these resources is emitted into the air as they are burned. Because carbon cannot be created or destroyed, the amounts of carbon in the atmosphere is becoming more dense. As the amounts increase, more heat from the sun is captured within the atmosphere, raising the temperature worldwide (13). Previously, temperature change was a slow process, enabling nature to adjust. Recently the climate has changed more rapidly, not allowing the necessary adaptations to take place. The temperature of the ocean is also in the process of becoming warmer—damaging the life that it holds. Many species, both on land and in water, are not able to escape the changing climate because of human interference, leading to a loss of population. This reduction is currently estimated at 1,000 times the natural rate in history (15). Eventually, a high percentage of Earth's species will become extinct, as the numbers are already at an alarming high level. Many areas are currently unable to replenish depleted stock and will only become worse as the exploitation of resources increases.

Fortunately, the large quantities of water consumed and utilized throughout the world only utilizes 10% of the Earth's running water (16). One issue is that while many areas have a large supply of fresh water, there are just as many that are lacking this necessity—an imposition that will only become more drastic over time.

Many natural remedies for environmental setbacks are no longer able to function normally. In the past, as plant species declined, the insects and birds which distributed pollen and seeds often overcame the decrease. Also, deforestation and emptying of marches has removed the natural storage of heavy rainfall, leading to more floods (18). As the Earth loses the ability to restore its losses, humans become more unable to predict what might be seen in the ecosystem's short-term and long-term future. However, scientists are able to detect the risks we face in the further depletion of our natural resources.

The Millennium Development Goals were created with in the new millennium and supported by many countries throughout the world. The Goals were set in order to attempt to eradicate poverty and ensure “food, clean water, and freedom from avoidable diseases (19).” Some statistics help portray the necessary action which must take place. Over 2 billion people live in the “dry regions of the world,” affected by malnutrition, infant mortality, and dirty or no water. Often, resources which are removed in order to better one community, leaves another poor community stripped of their basic natural resources for survival.

Four “plausible futures” were designed by the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment as future outcomes of our planet and its resources (21). Many patterns exist in all four scenarios such as the mid-century population prediction of over 8 billion people, the over-cultivation of land which lessens the ecosystem's diversity, and climate change. The difference between the four predictions is seen in the governments' actions in bettering nations other than their own.

In the scenarios where natural assets see improvements across entire categories, however, the world has taken action on a scale well beyond anything underway at present—for instance, investments in cleaner technology, proactive conservation policies, education, and measures to reduce the gap between rich and poor.

(page 21)


The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment also provides means of sustaining our natural resources in the future such as providing cont-effective alternative sources of energy, distribute knowledge of more productive decisions of a whole group or an individual, and attempt to recover depleted resources. The assessment also emphasizes the need to no longer deny our negative affects on the environment, to motivate communities to make better decisions, and to understand how crucial it is for our current population to repair the damage that has been done and provide a safer and more bountiful planet for future generations.