May 22 is International Biodiversity Day, a date adopted by the United Nations General Assembly to commemorate the entry into force of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in 1992. This event seeks to raise awareness of the importance of biodiversity, promote its protection and raise awareness of the threats it faces.

This year, under the slogan “Be part of the plan“, the aim is to encourage governments, local communities, non-governmental organizations, legislators, businesses and citizens to actively collaborate in the implementation of the Kumming-Montreal Global Framework, also known as the Biodiversity Plan, by sharing their contributions and committing to the cause.

The Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted in December 2022, sets out concrete targets and actions to halt and reverse the loss of nature by 2050. The document includes among its objectives the protection of 30% of the planet, the restoration of 30% of degraded ecosystems by 2030, halving food waste and investing at least $200 billion annually in strategies that benefit biodiversity.

Along these lines, the United Nations declared a year earlier the Decade for Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030)a coordinated response at the global level to develop policies aimed at the implementation of Nature-based solutions as a key instrument in the face of biodiversity loss that make an essential contribution to the health of the planet and the survival of the human species.

Today, according to data from the Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), nature has been significantly altered by multiple human-induced factors. Most ecosystem and biodiversity indicators show rapid deterioration.

The results of the report reveal that 75% of the land surface has been significantly altered, while 66% of the ocean surface is increasingly experiencing cumulative effects and more than 85% of the wetland area has been lost. It also concludes that about 1 million species of animals and plants are currently in danger of extinction, more than ever before in human history.

In addition to anthropogenic activity, other threats to biodiversity loss include changes in land and ocean use, overexploitation of natural resources, environmental pollution, the presence of invasive alien species, and the effects of climate change.

Since its inception, the mission and activity of the Fundación Biodiversidad is aligned with the protection and restoration of biodiversity, as well as with highlighting its importance, raising awareness of the benefits it brings us and the responsibility we have for its preservation, which is essential for the health and survival of the human species.