be wasted, not only in the developed world but also in developing countries which possess it in
abundance. This shows that the problemofwater is partly an educational and cultural issue, since there
is little awareness of the seriousness of suchbehaviourwithin a context ofgreat inequality.
31.
Greater scarcity of water will lead to an increase in the cost of food and the various products
which depend on its use. Some studies warn that an acute water shortage may occur within a few
decades unless urgent action is taken. The environmental repercussions could affect billions of people;
it is also conceivable that the control of water by large multinational businesses may become a major
source of conflict in this century.
23
III.
LOSSOFBIODIVERSITY
32.
The earth’s resources are also being plundered because of short-sighted approaches to the
economy, commerce and production. The loss of forests and woodlands entails the loss of species
whichmay constitute extremely important resources in the future, not only for food but also for curing
disease and other uses. Different species contain genes which could be key resources in years ahead
formeetinghuman needs and regulatingenvironmental problems.
33.
It is not enough, however, to think of different species merely as potential “resources” to be
exploited, while overlooking the fact that they have value in themselves. Each year sees the
disappearance of thousands of plant and animal specieswhichwewill never know,which our children
will never see, because they have been lost for ever. The great majority become extinct for reasons
related to human activity. Becauseof us, thousands of specieswill no longer give glory toGodby their
veryexistence, nor convey theirmessage to us. We have no such right.
34.
It may well disturb us to learn of the extinction of mammals or birds, since they are more
visible. But the good functioningof ecosystems also requires fungi, algae, worms, insects, reptiles and
an innumerable variety of microorganisms. Some less numerous species, although generally unseen,
nonetheless play a critical role in maintaining the equilibrium of a particular place. Human beings
must intervene when a geosystem reaches a critical state. But nowadays, such intervention in nature
23
Cf.
Greeting to theStaff of FAO
(20November 2014):AAS 106 (2014), 985.
