U.N. says Earth's ecosystem is no luxury

UNITED NATIONS, Sep 12, 2005 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- The United Nations says any debate about security and human rights must include the ecosystem and ignoring it will lead to catastrophe and economic disaster.

"The environment is not a luxury, not a Gucci accessory bag or a fancy silk tie affordable only when all other issues have been resolved," U.N. Environment Program Executive Director Klaus Toepfer said Monday.

The U.N. agency's report Millennium Ecosystem Assessment findings show the link between the spread of diseases and environmental destruction. Studies in the Amazon, by researchers at John Hopkins University in the United States, conclude for every 1 percent increase in deforestation, there is an 8 percent increase in the number of malaria-carrying mosquitoes.

The report also notes the frequency and effect of floods and fires has increased significantly in the past 50 years, pointing out when mangrove forests or wetlands are cleared coastal populations are increasingly exposed to tropical storms.