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The need to join efforts in biodiversity conservation will ensure sustainable human development.
Biodiversity is defined as the variety of living beings that exist in a place.
This includes animals, plants, fungi and microorganisms; and it also includes how these organisms relate and connect with each other and with their environment, forming ecosystems.
In order to preserve our own way of life, it is vital to conserve the biodiversity of our environment. Along these lines, it is essential to emphasize the need, both legal and moral, to harmonize human development with the preservation of the values of our natural environment. Thus, following this line of thought, it becomes necessary to carry out environmental studies aimed at the protection of fauna and flora within the framework of any project.
This type of study, far from being a mere administrative requirement, is a powerful tool for ensuring sustainable development that harmonizes human development with environmental conservation.
Environmental law mandates prevention and compensation of impacts
From a legal point of view, most environmental legislation, at the regional, national, community and international levels, clearly establishes the obligation to identify, prevent, mitigate and compensate the environmental impacts derived from any intervention on the territory.
Biodiversity and Environmental Assessment: Legal Requirements in Spain
In Spain, biodiversity is regulated by Law 42/2007, of December 13, 2007, on Natural Heritage and Biodiversity, which transposes the European Union’s Birds and Habitats Directives into Spanish law.
In this framework, biodiversity joins many other vectors in the Environmental Impact Assessment process, which is materialized in Law 21/2013, of December 9, 2013, on Environmental Assessment and the other state and autonomous regulations that hang from it, is a legal requirement prior to the approval of many construction projects.
This assessment requires a rigorous analysis of the effects that the project will have on both local and global biodiversity in a synergistic manner.
Legislation to Protect Ecosystems and Safeguard Key Species
The legislation aims to guarantee the preservation of ecosystems and the species that comprise them by preventing the extinction of species and promoting the responsible consumption of natural resources.
Therefore, these studies make it possible to detect the presence of key species that may be significant in terms of their degree of threat, level of protection or their role in the ecological dynamics of the ecosystem.
Biodiversity: A Moral Duty and a Legacy for Future Generations
From an ethical and moral perspective, the commitment to the conservation of our environment should not be limited to a legal obligation. Biodiversity is an intrinsic value at the planetary level. It is often said that biodiversity is not the property of present generations, it is on loan to future generations, and the loss of this asset not only affects the current population, but will greatly condition the way of life of future generations, and could even jeopardize its viability.
In any case, one thing seems clear, the fauna and flora of a place have never been obstacles to development. Rather, they are elements that are part of an ecological balance that sustains human life and development. Thus, there is an ethical responsibility that project developers must assume.
Ignorance of the presence of these species during a project can trigger irreversible consequences in an ecosystem such as the disappearance of habitats, loss of ecosystem functions, displacement or disappearance of species and imbalances that can even affect the safety and viability of the project itself.
Flora and Fauna Studies: Protecting Nature While Optimizing Projects
Flora and fauna studies not only allow us to protect specific species and therefore our environment, but also provide valuable information to improve project design, reduce negative impacts and, in many cases, optimize costs.
For example, relocating or adapting certain construction elements to avoid affecting nesting or breeding areas, establishing biological corridors that allow the movement of species, or the use of hydroseeding with melliferous species that favor pollinators, can favor the project’s relationship with the community and the authorities, improving its public image and facilitating its long-term implementation.
In conclusion, conducting studies focused on the prevention of effects on flora and fauna in construction projects and adapting construction schedules to the biological cycles of fauna and flora are not a burden, but an opportunity to demonstrate commitment to sustainable development that interests us all at the level of both civilization and species.
Compliance with legislation is essential, but biodiversity conservation must be seen as an investment in the future, not just an obligation in the present.
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