'Invasive species are a wicked problem we can only manage, not solve'

AS India intensifies efforts to tackle invasive species—from Senna spectabilis in Tamil Nadu’s forests to tilapia and crayfish overrunning freshwater ecosystems the global scientific community warns that invasions are accelerating worldwide.

- SV KRISHNA CHAITANYA @Nairobi

To understand why managing invasives remains such a complex ecological and economic challenge, TNIE spoke to Julian Blanc, Head, Biodiversity and Land Branch Ecosystems Division of UN Environment Programme (UNEP). In this candid conversation ahead of Seventh Session of the United Nations Environment Assembly, Blanc explains why invasives thrive, how short-term human incentives worsen the crisis, and why he calls biological invasions a “wicked problem” that requires sustained political will and long-term investment.

Here are the excerpts:

The IPBES Invasive Alien Species Assessment report calls invasive species one of the top drivers of biodiversity loss. How do you view these findings in light of global environmental decision-making?

The IPBES assessment reflects exactly what we see on the ground. Invasive species are a classic “wicked problem.” They interact with climate change, land-use pressures, pollution and economic incentives, so you can improve the situation but never fully solve it. And the reality is that none of the major global environmental challenges have the financial resources they require. We're struggling on the plastic treaty, climate negotiations are falling short, and strong economic interests slow down action. Even when science is clear, as IPBES makes it, converting that clarity into long-term investment and political commitment is the hardest part.

Why is the Indian subcontinent particularly vulnerable to biological invasions?