Every year on May 22, the International Day for Biological Diversity attempts to raise awareness and knowledge of biodiversity challenges. Biodiversity is essential to human well-being now and in the future, and its fast deterioration poses a threat to both nature and humans.
Human activities are driving biodiversity loss at an unprecedented rate, according to the latest Global Assessment by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). However, the review did show that solutions were available and that it was not too late to act.
Biological diversity is commonly thought of in terms of the wide range of plants, animals, and microorganisms, but it also includes genetic differences within each species — for example, between crop varieties and livestock breeds — and the diversity of ecosystems (lakes, forests, deserts, and agricultural landscapes) that host a variety of interactions among humans, plants, and animals. The basis on which we construct civilizations are biological diversity resources. About 3 billion individuals get 20% of their animal protein from fish. Plants account for more than 80% of the human diet. Traditional plant-based treatments are used by up to 80% of people living in rural regions in underdeveloped nations for basic healthcare.
Why International Day for Biologival Diversity is Important
We all get to live in a better, more diversified world when there are many different species living in many different sorts of habitats. Biological diversity provides for the growth of a wide variety of crops that feed people all over the world while also allowing for natural sustainability. Furthermore, allowing a diverse range of ecosystems to thrive makes it simpler for the earth as a whole to recover from natural disasters and boosts ecosystem productivity.
In addition, it is simpler for humans to exist as a species if there are more varied kinds of plants and animals on the planet. Rather of limiting ourselves to a few specific types of crops and cattle (which would restrict the number of areas on Earth where people may dwell), fostering biological variety ensures that humankind survives everywhere.
Lastly, while human survival is critical, we must also consider that people have the greatest influence on the world of any living thing. We may either be a force for good, fostering expansion and variety, or we can be a force for bad, transforming the world into something as uninhabitable as every other planet in our solar system.
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