To Protect Biodiversity, We Must First Respect it

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Today, 22 May 2024, is International Day of Biological Diversity. The theme for 2024 is ‘Be part of the plan’. The idea is that we all have a role to play to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by supporting the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, also referred to as the . What does that mean exactly?

Biodiversity is the complex web of more than 8 million species on this planet that are vital to our existence. One million of these plant and animal species arefacing extinction if we don’t change our way of life. Every species on the planet is important in maintaining ecosystems healthy and balanced. Every. Single. One.

Protecting this biodiversity is essential for our health, wellbeing, livelihoods, protection, and security. Without a healthy array of animals, plants, insects and organisms the ecosystems that we rely on for food, air, water would not exist. Our lives literally depend on it.

Human Impacts on Biodiversity and Nature

Biodiversity loss, however, is at a high. The Living Planet Report 2022 states a 69% average loss in the abundance of mammal, bird, reptile, fish and amphibian species since 1970. An even higher rate (83%) of decline was found in the populations of vertebrates living in freshwater ecosystems over the same…