The comprehensive assessment of the country’s biodiversity shows an impressive record in terms of species diversity and endemism. But this does not reflect the extent of biodiversity loss that has occurred in the last decade or so in the different ecosystems of the country. Depending on when the invetory was conducted, the current species diversity may reflect either the current level or the remnant of a much richer diversity in the past. A third scenario could assume that more species remain unexplored/ undiscovered and could constitute even twice the scenario could assume the currently known number. If the last scenario reflects the real situation, then it is a race against time to understand the actual extent of existing biodiversity as part of our natural heritage before it disappears due to the rapidly expanding population and its concomitant overexploitation of resources that brings about a negative chain of reactions, e.g., tenurial problems, denudation of ecosystem and watershed areas, soil erosion, siltation, organic and chemical pollution, eutrophication, mangrove conversion, breakdown in food chain checks and balances. In many instances, the extent of habitat loss will provide a good measure of biodiversity loss.

To illustrate, the forest cover in the country has been reduced from more than 50 percent to less than 24 percent over a 40 year period (1948 to 1987); only about 5 percent of the country’s coral reefs remains in excellent condition, 30-50 percent of its seagrass beds in the last 50 years, and about 80 percent of its mangrove areas in the last 75 years, have been lost. It has been estimated that about 50 percent of national parks are no longer biologically important.