Rachel Carson, a celebrated American conservationist, wrote perhaps one of the most influential pieces of literature of the 20th century, Silent Spring in 1962. Her maxim, `In nature, nothing exists alone`, offers a very simple, yet important, explanation of our place in the world.

It reminds us that life on our planet is inexplicably linked with the natural world, that human well-being is dependent on the well-being of a biodiverse and ecologically stable planet. This notion goes beyond the idea that nature has mere economic value to it.

This, then, also begs us to ask the following question: what is the value of a tree? Is it the timber it provides, the carbon it absorbs or the peace it brings to someone sitting beneath its shade? For some time now, we`ve been told that putting a price tag on nature is the only way to save it. But as the climate crisis deepens and biodiversity continues to vanish at alarming rates, it`s time to ask: have we reduced nature to a commodity at our peril? Recent reports paint a grim picture of a world where ecosystems are collapsing. The World Wildlife Fund`s (WWF) Living Planet Report 2024 reveals that global wildlife populations have plummeted by 73 percent since 1970.

A SKEWED RELATIONSHIP The stakes in Pakistan are especially high. Our forest cover has dropped to four percent from seven percent during the last three decades, owing to encroachment, forest fires and illegal logging. Mangroves of the Indus Delta are also under threat of encroachment on the coasts of Karachi. In a rush to modernise, to develop and extract benefit from these natural resources, we risk losing this natural heritage altogether.

In response, governments and corporations are introducing policies to save what`s left often by assigning monetary value to the `services` nature provides.

While this economic framing has prompted action, it comes with a dangerous trade-off: the oversimplification of ecosystems into tradable, monetary assets.

Viewing nature through a monetary lens has been a practical way to engage policymakers, but it is ultimately insufficient. This approach oversimplifies ecosystems and risks perpetuating the same exploitative practices that have driven biodiversity loss. Concepts such as biodiversity offsetting and carbon credits appeal to governments and corporations by aligning conservation with economic incentives.

In Pakistan, where development often prioritises short-term gains over long-term sustainability, this framing may seem particularly tempting. Nature`s value extends far beyond economics, especially in Pakistan, where ecosystems are deeply tied to culture, livelihoods and public health.

Our mangroves are vital ecosystems, crucial for coastal protection and fisheries, and are often treated as expendable for industrial, commercial and urbanexpansion. While planting new mangroves is cited as an offset for such destruction, the unique biodiversity and ecological role of mature mangroves cannot simply be replicated elsewhere. This commodification risks perpetuating the exploitative practices that have already led to significant environmental degradation and mangrove depletion in the first place.

Biodiversity isn`t just about the existence of plants and animals; it`s the foundation of ecosystems that sustain life. In Pakistan, however, biodiversity is under siege. Forests are disappearing, wildlife populations are dwindling, and entire ecosystems are on the brink of collapse. These losses aren`t abstract, they have tangible consequences for millions of people across the country.

A CAUTIONARY TALE One particular case that I have monitored closely in recent years, and one which I believe is especially relevant in the context of Pakistan, is that of vultures.

Once numbering in the millions across South Asia, vultures played a crucial role in maintaining the health and balance of the ecosystem.

Vulture populations across Pakistan and India have plummeted by over 90 percent in recent decades, due to the use of the drug diclofenac on livestock. Vultures,who used to consume the livestock carcasses, prevented the spread of disease because their bodies are equipped to break down bacteria that can be harmful to humans.

However, the widespread use of the drug, which is fatal to the vultures, decimated their populations. While this might not have seemed as a very consequential event or break in the ecosystem at the time, we are witnessing the true impacts of this event today.

Without vultures, wild dog populations surged, who consumed the same livestock carcasses as the vultures once did. Dogs, however, are not equipped with a system that can break down the deadly bacteria, which has led to an explosion of rabies cases. A study conducted by the American Economic Association in 2024 estimated that, between 2000 and 2005, 500,000 rabies related deaths took place in India.

BIODIVERSITY IN A SPIRAL Be it mangroves treated as expendable for urban expansion or vultures eliminated by unchecked veterinary practices, the neglect of ecosystems come at a steep price. Even seemingly small disruptions to ecosystems can spiral into crises with wide-reaching consequences. Nature does not operate in silos and every species, habitat and ecosystem is interconnected in ways we often fail to appreciate until it`s too late.

In Pakistan, where biodiversity is vanishing and ecosystems are under constant threat, this interconnectedness should guide our actions.

This is not just about saving wildlife or planting trees, rather protecting the ecosystems that allow inter-species existence. Continuous over extraction of our natural resources to focus on economic incentives and market-based solutions, as if nature can simply be traded, offset or replaced, will push the ecosystems to their tipping points.

What we need instead is a shift in mindset around conservation, one that sees ecosystems not as commodities but as lifelines. It`s about fundamentally rethinking our relationship with nature. This means giving nature its due intrinsic value, recognising that its worth is not tied to what it can do for us, but that it exists with its own inherent importance.

It`s about fundamentally rethinking our relationship with the natural world, from one of domination and exploitation to one of respect, stewardship and coexistence.

The author is a Commonwealth Scholar at the University of Bristol in the UK