As the world today marks International Day for Biological Diversity, UN Secretary-General António Guterres urges nations to fundamentally reassess their relationship with the natural world. He emphasizes that the loss of biodiversity represents a global crisis that demands the attention and action of every country.
“Biodiversity is the bedrock of life and a cornerstone of sustainable development. Yet humanity is destroying biodiversity at a lightning pace – the result of pollution, climate crisis, ecosystem destruction, and – ultimately – short-term interests fuelling the unsustainable use of our natural world,” said Guterres in his message marking the biodiversity day.
The UN officially designated 22 May as the International Day for Biological Diversity in 2000 to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues. The date marks the adoption of the Convention on Biological Diversity in 1992. The theme of this year’s day is “living in harmony with nature and sustainable development”.
Mr. Guterres called for the urgent implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the landmark agreement adopted to halt and reverse nature loss by 2030. This includes delivering on national biodiversity action plans, scaling finance for conservation, shifting harmful subsidies, and supporting local communities, Indigenous Peoples, women, and youth.
Mr Guterres called on governments to build on progress made at COP16, including delivering domestic and international finance, and shifting public subsidies and other financial flows away from activities that harm nature.
The International Day comes amid stark concern for the future, with one million species being at risk of extinction. Further, 75 per cent of land ecosystems and two-thirds of marine environments have been significantly altered by human activity, and if current trends continue, progress towards eight of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) could be jeopardized.
“Biological diversity resources are the pillars upon which we build civilizations. Fish provide 20 per cent of animal protein to about 3 billion people, and over 80 per cent of the human diet is provided by plants. As many as 80 per cent of people living in rural areas in developing countries rely on traditional plant‐based medicines for basic healthcare,” said the UN in its message for the day.
But loss of biodiversity threatens all, including our health. It has been proven that biodiversity loss could expand zoonoses – diseases transmitted from animals to humans- while, on the other hand, if we keep biodiversity intact, it offers excellent tools to fight against pandemics like those caused by coronaviruses.
Globally, Kenya is classified among the 10 mega-biodiverse nations, with over 35,000 species of flora and fauna. The country has a unique diversity of ecosystems, ranging from mountains, forests, rangelands, arid lands, croplands, and urban areas to marine and inland waters.
However, as in many parts of the world, the productivity and resilience of Kenya’s ecosystems and the diversity and viability of biodiversity are under threat. Ecosystem degradation and biodiversity loss have wide-ranging impacts, including increased vulnerability to climate change and natural disasters, a decrease in productivity, and a sharp decline of iconic species such as the elephant, rhino, giraffe, and pangolin.
