AlHijjah 1, 1433, Oct 17, 2012, SPA - Delegates from nearly 200 countries were working Tuesday to implement an agreement on protecting Earth's ecosystems at a biodiversity conference in southern India. The U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity in Hyderabad is discussing progress toward achieving goals laid out in the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Nagoya Protocol created in Japan two years ago. The protocol lays down steps for countries to protect ecosystems and share access to genetic resources. Convention officials said 92 countries have signed the protocol but only six have ratified it. At least 50 ratifications are required for the Nagoya Protocol to come into force. Scientists warn that numerous species could become extinct unless prompt action is taken to protect them. They estimate the Earth is losing species at 100 to 1,000 times the historical average, pushing the planet toward the greatest extinction age since the dinosaurs were wiped out 65 million years ago. However, countries are divided over resources to fund the implementation of the protocol, with developing countries saying the global economic crisis should not dampen funding from industrialized countries, as conserving biodiversity is an investment for the future.
