Earth's fragile legacy: A Doha-based scholar's plea for biodiversity

Qatar Tribune

04-06-2025

Satyendra Pathak
Doha
In 'Vanishing Life on Earth', Doha-based Prof Bimalendu B Nath delivers a powerful, sweeping narrative that bridges eons of Earth's biological history with the stark realities of our present environmental crisis. As both a distinguished scholar and passionate science communicator, Prof Nath crafts a story that is as illuminating as it is urgent.
At first glance, the book presents itself as a journey through time—an abridged chronicle of the life forms that once thrived on our planet and those that survive today. But as one delves deeper, it becomes clear that this work is far more than a history of extinct species. It is a compelling reflection on life's resilience, nature's vulnerability, and humanity's growing responsibility in shaping the Earth's future.
Prof Nath navigates through the planet's five major extinction events, selecting poignant stories from the fossil record to resurrect long-lost ecosystems. Through engaging prose and scientific clarity, he breathes life into tiny microorganisms, majestic dinosaurs, woolly mammoths, and ancient mastodons—each representing chapters in Earth's unfolding story. Readers are not merely observers; they are transported across forgotten landscapes, invited to uncover the secrets entombed in stone.
Yet the real weight of the book lies in its message for today. With the sixth mass extinction looming—this time human-induced—Prof Nath asks the critical question: What have we done to bring our planet to such a fragile state? This inquiry forms the moral spine of the book. He doesn't just diagnose the problem; he presents a path forward, emphasizing sustainable action, ecological awareness, and the shared duty of every global citizen to protect the web of life.
The book's release is a proud moment for the MIE-SPPU Institute of Higher Education in Doha, where Prof Nath currently serves as Academic Director. With over three decades of research in genetics, evolution, and environmental biology—including groundbreaking work on climate stress and animal adaptation—Prof Nath's credibility and dedication shine through every page.
This book review holds special significance as World Environment Day is celebrated annually on June 5 and encourages awareness and action for the protection of the environment. Vanishing Life on Earth aligns seamlessly with this global call to action, urging readers to confront the ecological challenges of our time and commit to preserving the planet's rich biodiversity.
'Vanishing Life on Earth' is essential reading not only for students and scholars of life sciences but for anyone who cares about the fate of our planet. It is both a tribute to Earth's extraordinary evolutionary journey and a sobering reminder that the future of biodiversity now rests in human hands.
In an age of environmental reckoning, Prof Nath's voice is one we must heed. His book is a clarion call for reflection, for understanding, and most of all, for action.