International Day for Biological Diversity

  Reducing the need for additional farmland and improving natural habitats helps to protect biodiversity

  A new study has strengthened calls for coordinated action on climate change and nature loss , by calculating the CO2 emissions countries could save if they conserve and restore ecosystems on land, in line with proposed international targets for nature conservation.  It comes ahead of Biodiversity Day at the COP27 climate conference , on November 16, during which ministers, business and community leaders from around the world will discuss the current state of nature, showcase current action on ecosystem restoration and nature-based solutions and strive to inspire and enact greater commitments to jointly tackle climate change and nature loss. The new report, Strengthening Synergies: Climate Change Mitigation Benefits from Achieving Global Biodiversity Targets , presents new scientific analysis using improved data on biodiversity and carbon stocks and sequestration, combined with modelling of land use change. Aligning with new goals and targets expected to be adopted at the ...

Healthy ecosystems are a source of food, water, medicine, shelter and more. Yet, human activities have altered most terrestrial habitats. Urgent action is needed to halt and reverse biodiversity loss. Follow the conversations with the hashtags: #BuildBackBiodiversity , #BiodiversityDay on May 22nd.

  The migratory monarch butterfly ( Danaus plexippus plexippus ), known for its spectacular annual journey of up to 4,000 kilometres across the Americas, has entered the IUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesTM as Endangered, threatened by habitat destruction and climate change. All surviving sturgeon species – also migratory, found across the northern hemisphere – are now at risk of extinction due to dams and poaching, pushing the world’s most Critically Endangered group of animals yet closer to the brink. Yet these Monarch butterflies , once a familiar sight, are plummeting toward extinction due to landscape-scale threats from pesticides , development and climate change. That's why the Center is working hard to win them protection under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. Monarchs have declined 85% in two decades. Species categorized as Endangered (EN) . The methods for calculating the global RLI are described in Butchart et al. 2007 and here , with the methods for calculating confid...

The possible demise of the polar bear is tied directly to the effects of global warming. Sea ice is the key habitat for the polar bear providing dens, hunting grounds, and means of travel. Global warming has an increased effect in the arctic, with water temperatures increasing faster than other areas of the globe. The polar bear is classified as “vulnerable” on the IUCN Red List. Species Categorized as Vulnerable (VU) . The Red List Index (RLI) is one way of representing information on the status of biodiversity from The IUCN Red List . Complementary measures include the proportion of species that are threatened with extinction (as illustrated, for example, in Díaz et al. 2019 ), and the proportion of species that have declining trends. More broadly, the trends in extinction risk shown by the RLI capture just one aspect of biodiversity loss. Complementary indicators produced from other datasets show trends in population abundance and community intactness.

  Mountain gorillas are considered endangered by IUCN's Red List . Not only are mountain gorillas threatened by loss of habitat due to human encroachment, they have also become victims of human violence . As civil war rages in Africa, efforts to conserve mountain gorilla populations have been curtailed. A taxon is Extinct In The Wild (EW) when it is known only to survive in cultivation, in captivity or as a naturalized population (or populations). The Red List Index (RLI) has been widely adopted in different policy contexts, including for assessing progress towards the Convention on Biological Diversity's 2010 target and Aichi Biodiversity Targets , the UN Sustainable Development Goals (for which it is an official indicator for Goal 15), the Convention on Migratory Species (and several of its daughter agreements), etc. It is recommended as an indicator for the Goals and Targets in the CBD's post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework . It has also been used in the reg...

The White Ferula Mushroom is Critically Endangered . It is estimated that only 250 white Ferulas make it to maturity each year . Species Categorized as Critically Endangered (CE) . An IUCN Red List Critically Endangered (CR) or sometimes (CE) species is one that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. The Red List Index (RLI) can also be disaggregated to produce national and regional Red List Indices by weighting by the fraction of each species' distribution occurring within a particular country or region, building on the methodology published by  Rodrigues  et al .  (2014) . These show how well species (in the groups covered) are conserved in the country or region relative to its potential contribution to global conservation of these species groups . An alternative approach is to produce national RLIs based on repeated assessments of extinction risk at the na...

 The Florida grasshopper sparrow is an endangered subspecies of grasshopper sparrow native to the dry prairies of south-central Florida. The Florida grasshopper sparrow is one of four subspecies of grasshopper sparrows in North America , and is perhaps the most endangered.The Florida grasshopper sparrow is protected by the U.S. Migratory Bird Treaty Act . It is also protected as an Endangered species by the Federal Endangered Species Act and as a Federally-designated Endangered species by Florida's Endangered and Threatened Species Rule. A taxon is Extinct (EX) when there is no reasonable doubt that the last individual has died. A taxon is presumed Extinct when exhaustive surveys in known and/or expected habitat, at appropriate times (diurnal, seasonal, annual), throughout its historic range have failed to record an individual.

  The D. crassiflora is a medium-sized, slow-growing tree up to 25 meters tall. It is found in lowland semi-deciduous and evergreen forest , up to about 1000 m in elevation, and tends to avoid the wettest forests. It is not a common tree in natural forests , usually found alone or in a small group of 2 or 3 trees. It is harvested by selective logging throughout its natural range, and the wood is considered the true commercial ebony from Africa. The heartwood, the most famous part of the tree’s timber, is jet-black or very dark brown with black streaks. It is very dense and used for heavy flooring, ship building, vehicle bodies, knife handles, guitar fingerboards and, most famously, the black keys of pianos. The bark and sap of the tree have been shown to have antibacterial and antifungal properties, and they are used in traditional local medicine to help treat a variety of ailments.The  D. crassiflora timber has been an important export product from its range countries for y...

The Leptodactylus fallax, commonly known as the mountain chicken or giant ditch frog, is a critically endangered species of frog that is native to the Caribbean islands of Dominica and Montserrat. The mountain chicken (Leptodactylus fallax) is not a chicken. It is a frog. Officially named the Giant Ditch Frog and locally known as a mountain chicken possibly because of its large drumstick like legs which were once eaten for food. One of the largest frogs in the world The mountain chicken is one of the largest frogs in the world and can weigh over 40 times as much as a European common frog, reaching up to 1kg in size. They eat a variety of animals, including insects, snakes, small mammals, and even other frogs. These frogs currently occur in Dominica and Montserrat but were once far more widespread. An epidemic of the fungal disease amphibian chytridiomycosis almost wiped-out mountain chickens forever. Since one of the pathogens that causes the disease arrived in Dominica in 2002 ...

Bolivian chinchilla rats are listed as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN red list of threatened species. Data on populations and ecological requirements are extremely limited and they are also designated "data deficient." A taxon is Vulnerable (VU) when the best available evidence indicates that it meets any of the criteria A to E for Vulnerable, and it is therefore considered to be facing a high risk of extinction in the wild. Species Categorized as Vunerable (VU) .

The blue whale is listed as endangered throughout its range under the ESA and is thus considered depleted throughout its range under the MMPA. Internationally, blue whales received complete legal protection from commercial whaling in 1966 under the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling. To address this, the Red List Index (RLI) has been developed, which shows trends in the status of groups of species based only on genuine improvements or deteriorations in status of sufficient magnitude to qualify species for listing in more threatened or less threatened Red List Categories. Species Categorized as Extinct (EX)

The population of black rhinos declined dramatically in the 20th century at the hands of European hunters and settlers. Between 1960 and 1995, black rhino numbers dropped by a sobering 98%, to less than 2,500 individuals. Since then, the species has made a tremendous comeback from the brink of extinction. Most species that move between categories on The IUCN Red List (see the section Reasons for Changing Category ) do so because of improved knowledge or revised taxonomy. It is therefore impossible to determine any meaningful trends in the status of biodiversity simply by looking at overall changes in numbers of threatened species between updates.The Red List Index (RLI) .  A Categories listed as Extinct (EX) . 

Once common throughout Africa and Asia, elephant populations have experienced significant declines over the last century. The greatest threat to African forest elephants is poaching for the illegal ivory trade , while Asian elephant populations are most at risk from habitat loss and resulting human-elephant conflict. Species categorized as Extinct (EX)  

There is a sub-species of Hector's dolphin known as Maui's dolphin that is critically endangered and fall into extinction , the experts estimate that the population of only 55 are still alive.   The largest threat to hector's dolphin and both subspecies is bycatch in commercial and recreational gillnets and trawls. Habitat-related threats , disease, and tourism may also negatively impact the dolphins.   Species categorized as Extinct (EX)

Listed as ' Critically Endangered ' by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) since 1996, the Amur leopard suffered extensive population declines in the late 20th century as a result of poaching, habitat loss and degradation, prey depletion, and a number of consequential anthropogenic threats The Red List Index (RLI) shows trends in overall extinction risk for species , and is used by governments to track their progress towards targets for reducing biodiversity loss.

  The renewed Decision of the United Nations Biodiversity Conference ( #COP15 ) on engagement with subnational goverments, cities and other local authorities to enhance the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework ( #KMGBF ) and its related Plan of Action, was adopted. Read more on the Decisions in 7th Summit of the COP15 report. nt-report

  EVENT : From Agreement to Action: the Central Role of Water to Build Back Biodiversity - IDB 2023 In celebration of the International Day for Biological Diversity 2023 , on May 22nd ; this event will illustrate the critical interlinkages between freshwater and biodiversity and showcase the outcomes of the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP 15) and UN 2023 Water Conference . The Water Action Agenda commitments on biodiversity made by different stakeholders at the United Nations 2023 Water Conference will be discussed at the event. All aspects of human wellbeing depend on water. In turn the planet’s water cycle is dependent on and mediated by biodiversity and water-related ecosystems. Freshwater ecosystems cover less than 1% of the Earth's surface but harbour more than 10% of all species. The importance of biodiversity and waterrelated ecosystems is reflected in the Sustainable Development Goal 6 and in particular Target 6.6. However, biodiversity in freshwater ecosystems is in dang...

  Ensure gender equality in the implementation of the Framework through a gender-responsive approach , where all women and girls have equal opportunity and capacity to contribute to the three objectives of the Convention , including by recognizing their equal rights and access to land and natural resources and their full, equitable, meaningful and informed participation and leadership at all levels of action, engagement, policy and decision-making related to biodiversity.

 Ensure the full, equitable, inclusive, effective and gender-responsive representation and participation in decision-making , and access to justice and information related to biodiversity by indigenous peoples and local communities, respecting their cultures and their rights over lands , territories,resources, and traditional knowledge , as well as by women and girls, children and youth, and persons with disabilities and ensure the full protection of environmental human rights defenders .

 Ensure that the best available data, information and knowledge are accessible to decision makers, practitioners and the public to guide effective and equitable governance, integrated and participatory management of biodiversity , and to strengthen communication, awareness-raising, education, monitoring, research and knowledge management and, also in this context, traditional knowledge, innovations , practices and technologies of indigenous peoples and local communities should only be accessed with their free, prior and informed consent, 14 in accordance with national legislation.

 Strengthen capacity-building and development, access to and transfer of technology , and promote development of and access to innovation and technical and scientific cooperation , including through South-South, North-South and triangular cooperation, to meet the needs for effective implementation, particularly in developing countries, fostering joint technology development and joint scientific research programmes for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and strengthening scientific research and monitoring capacities, commensurate with the ambition of the goals and targets of the Framework.

 Substantially and progressively increase the level of financial resources from all sources, in an effective, timely and easily accessible manner, including domestic, international, public and private resources, in accordance with Article 20 of the Convention, to implement national biodiversity strategies and action plans , mobilizing at least $200 billion per year by 2030, including by:  (a) Increasing total biodiversity related international financial resources from developed countries, including official development assistance, and from countries that voluntarily assume obligations of developed country Parties, to developing countries, in particular the least developed countries and small island developing States, as well as countries with economies in transition, to at least $20 billion per year by 2025, and to at least $30 billion per year by 2030;  (b) Significantly increasing domestic resource mobilization , facilitated by the preparation and implementation of n...

 Identify by 2025, and eliminate, phase out or reform incentives, including subsidies, harmful for biodiversity , in a proportionate, just, fair, effective and equitable way, while substantially and progressively reducing them by at least $500 billion per year by 2030 , starting with the most harmful incentives, and scale up positive incentives for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.

  Establish, strengthen capacity for, and implement in all countries, biosafety measures as set out in Article 8(g) of the Convention on Biological Diversity and measures for the handling of biotechnology and distribution of its benefits as set out in Article 19 of the Convention.

 Ensure that people are encouraged and enabled to make sustainable consumption choices , including by establishing supportive policy, legislative or regulatory frameworks, improving education and access to relevant and accurate information and alternatives , and by 2030, reduce the global footprint of consumption in an equitable manner, including through halving global food waste , significantly reducing overconsumption and substantially reducing waste generation , in order for all people to live well in harmony with Mother Earth.

 Take legal, administrative or policy measures to encourage and enable business , and in particular to ensure that large and transnational companies and financial institutions:  (a) Regularly monitor, assess, and transparently disclose their risks, dependencies and impacts on biodiversity , including with requirements for all large as well as transnational companies and financial institutions along their operations, supply and value chains, and portfolios;  (b) Provide information needed to consumers to promote sustainable consumption patterns ;  (c) Report on compliance with access and benefit-sharing regulations and measures , as applicable; in order to progressively reduce negative impacts on biodiversity, increase positive impacts, reduce biodiversity-related risks to business and financial institutions, and promote actions to ensure sustainable patterns of production

 Ensure the full integration of biodiversity and its multiple values into policies, regulations, planning and development processes , poverty eradication strategies, strategic environmental assessments, environmental impact assessments and, as appropriate, national accounting, within and across all levels of government and across all sectors, in particular those with significant impacts on biodiversity, progressively aligning all relevant public and private activities, and fiscal and financial flows with the goals and targets of this framework.

Take effective legal, policy, administrative and capacity-building measures at all levels , as appropriate, to ensure the fair and equitable sharing of benefits that arise from the utilization of genetic resources and from digital sequence information on genetic resources, as well as traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources , and facilitating appropriate access to genetic resources, and by 2030 , facilitating a significant increase of the benefits shared, in accordance with applicable international access and benefit-sharing instruments. 

 Significantly increase the area and quality, and connectivity of, access to, and benefits from green and blue spaces in urban and densely populated areas sustainably, by mainstreaming the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity , and ensure biodiversity-inclusive urban planning, enhancing native biodiversity, ecological connectivity and integrity, and improving human health and well-being and connection to nature , and contributing to inclusive and sustainable urbanization and to the provision of ecosystem functions and services

  Restore, maintain and enhance nature’s contributions to people , including ecosystem functions and services, such as the regulation of air, water and climate, soil health, pollination and reduction of disease risk, as well as protection from natural hazards and disasters, through nature-based solutions and/or ecosystem-based approaches for the benefit of all people and nature.

Ensure that areas under agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries and forestry are managed sustainably, in particular through the sustainable use of biodiversity , including through a substantial increase of the application of biodiversity friendly practices , such as sustainable intensification, agroecological and other innovative approaches , contributing to the resilience and long-term efficiency and productivity of these production systems, and to food security, conserving and restoring biodiversity and maintaining nature’s contributions to people , including ecosystem functions and services.

 Ensure that the management and use of wild species are sustainable , thereby providing social, economic and environmental benefits for people, especially those in vulnerable situations and those most dependent on biodiversity, including through sustainable biodiversity-based activities , products and services that enhance biodiversity , and protecting and encouraging customary sustainable use by indigenous peoples and local communities.

 Minimize the impact of climate change and ocean acidification on biodiversity and increase its resilience through mitigation, adaptation, and disaster risk reduction actions, including through nature-based solution and/or ecosystem-based approaches , while minimizing negative and fostering positive impacts of climate action on biodiversity.   Meeting people’s needs through sustainable use and benefit-sharing

 Reduce pollution risks and the negative impact of pollution from all sources by 2030 , to levels that are not harmful to biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services , considering cumulative effects, including:  (a) by reducing excess nutrients lost to the environment by at least half , including through more efficient nutrient cycling and use;  (b) by reducing the overall risk from pesticides and highly hazardous chemicals by at least half , including through integrated pest management, based on science, taking into account food security and livelihoods; and  (c) by preventing, reducing, and working towards eliminating plastic pollution.

 Eliminate, minimize, reduce and or mitigate the impacts of invasive alien species on biodiversity and ecosystem services by identifying and managing pathways of the introduction of alien species , preventing the introduction and establishment of priority invasive alien species , reducing the rates of introduction and establishment of other known or potential invasive alien species by at least 50% by 2030, and eradicating or controlling invasive alien species , especially in priority sites, such as islands.

 Ensure that the use, harvesting and trade of wild species is sustainable, safe and legal , preventing overexploitation, minimizing impacts on non-target species and ecosystems, and reducing the risk of pathogen spillover , applying the ecosystem approach, while respecting and protecting customary sustainable use by indigenous peoples and local communities.

 Ensure urgent management actions to halt human induced extinction of known threatened species and for the recovery and conservation of species , in particular threatened species, to significantly reduce extinction risk, as well as to maintain and restore the genetic diversity within and between populations of native, wild and domesticated species to maintain their adaptive potential, including through in situ and ex situ conservation and sustainable management practices , and effectively manage human-wildlife interactions to minimize human-wildlife conflict for coexistence.

 Ensure and enable that by 2030 at least 30% of terrestrial and inland water areas, and of marine and coastal areas, especially areas of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services, are effectively conserved and managed through ecologically representative, well-connected and equitably governed systems of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures, recognizing indigenous and traditional territories, where applicable, and integrated into wider landscapes, seascapes and the ocean, while ensuring that any sustainable use, where appropriate in such areas, is fully consistent with conservation outcomes , recognizing and respecting the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities, including over their traditional territories.

Ensure that by 2030 at least 30 per cent of areas of degraded terrestrial, inland water, and marine and coastal ecosystems are under effective restoration, in order to enhance biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services, ecological integrity and connectivity. 

  Ensure gender equality in the implementation of the Framework through a gender-responsive approach , where all women and girls have equal opportunity and capacity to contribute to the three objectives of the Convention, including by recognizing their equal rights and access to land and natural resources and their full, equitable, meaningful and informed participatio

  The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) was adopted during the  fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 15)   following a four year  consultation and negotiation process . This historic Framework, which supports the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and builds on the Convention’s previous Strategic Plans, sets out an ambitious pathway to reach the global vision of a world living in harmony with nature by 2050 . Among the Framework’s key elements are 4 goals for 2050 and 23 targets for 2030.  The implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework will be guided and supported through a comprehensive package of decisions also adopted at COP 15. This package includes a monitoring framework for the GBF,  an enhanced mechanism for planning, monitoring, reporting and reviewing implementation, the necessary financial resources for implementation,  strategic frameworks for capacity develop...

T he global celebrations of the International Day for Biological Diversity 2023 will bring with it a renewed sense of hope with the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework at COP 15. Join the conversations!