Conclusion
Combined with skyrocketing levels of pollution, the degradation of the natural habitat and biodiversity loss are having serious impacts on communities around the world. As global temperatures rise, once fertile grasslands turn to desert, and in the ocean, there are hundreds of so-called “dead zones,” where scarcely any aquatic life remains.
The loss of biodiversity affects the way an ecosystem functions, leading to species being less able to respond to changes in the environment, and making them increasingly vulnerable to natural disasters. If an ecosystem has a wide diversity of organisms, it is likely that they will not all be affected in the same way; if one species is killed off, then a similar species can take its place.
Biodiversity Plan
The plan, officially called the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, is a UN-driven landmark agreement, adopted by 196 countries to guide global action on nature through to 2030, which was hashed out at meetings in Kunming, China and Montreal, Canada, in 2022.
The aim is to address biodiversity loss, restore ecosystems and protect indigenous rights. Indigenous peoples suffer disproportionately from loss of biological diversity and environmental degradation; their lives, survival, development chances, knowledge, environment and health conditions are threatened by environmental degradation, large scale industrial activities, toxic waste, conflicts and forced migration, as well as by land-use and land-cover changes (such as deforestation for agriculture and extractives for example).
There are concrete measures to halt and reverse nature loss, including putting 30 percent of the planet and 30 percent of degraded ecosystems under protection by 2030 (Currently 17 percent of land and around eight per cent of marine areas are protected). The plan also contains proposals to increase finance to developing countries―a major sticking point during talks―and indigenous peoples.
Countries have to come up with national biodiversity strategies and action plans, and set or revise national targets, to match the ambition of global goals.
UN meeting
Next month the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA), otherwise known as the “World’s Environment Parliament” will meet at the UN office in Nairobi. The event brings together governments, civil society groups, the scientific community and the private sector to highlight the most pressing environmental issues and improve global governance of the environment. UNEA 2024 will focus on climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.
However, the main event will be the UN Biodiversity Conference, which will take place in Colombia in October. Delegates will discuss how to restore lands and seas in a way that protects the planet and respects the rights of local communities.
