Massive yet grossly underestimated global costs of invasive insects
- Description:
- Insects have presented human society with some of its greatest development challenges by spreading diseases, consuming crops and damaging infrastructure. Despite the massive human and financial toll of invasive insects, cost estimates of their impacts remain sporadic, spatially incomplete and of questionable quality. Here we compile a comprehensive database of economic costs of invasive insects. Taking all reported goods and service estimates, invasive insects cost a minimum of US$70.0 billion per year globally, while associated health costs exceed US$6.9 billion per year. Total costs rise as the number of estimate increases, although many of the worst costs have already been estimated (especially those related to human health). A lack of dedicated studies, especially for reproducible goods and service estimates, implies gross underestimation of global costs. Global warming as a consequence of climate change, rising human population densities and intensifying international trade will allow these costly insects to spread into new areas, but substantial savings could be achieved by increasing surveillance, containment and public awareness.
- Display date:
- 2016
- Collections:
- Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP)
- Publisher:
- Sprinter Nature
- Content partner:
- Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP)
- Availability:
- Not specified
-
Copyright status: All rights reservedFind out more about what you are able to do with this itemThis item is all rights reserved, with means you'll have to get permission from Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) before using it. For more information, please see our use and reuse page.What can I do with this item?Non-infringing useNZ copyright law does not prevent every use of a copyright work, and this item may be hosted by an international institute or organisation. You should consider what you can and cannot do with a copyright work.No sharingYou may not copy and/or share this item with others without further permission. This includes posting it on your blog, using it in a presentation, or any other public use.No modifyingYou are not allowed to adapt or remix this item into any other works.No commercial useYou may not use this item commercially.
Related items
Welcome and warm Pasifik greetings
The information on this site has been gathered from our content partners.
The names, terms, and labels that we present on the site may contain images or voices of deceased persons and may also reflect the bias, norms, and perspective of the period of time in which they were created. We accept that these may not be appropriate today.
If you have any concerns or questions about an item, please contact us.