THE IMPORTANCE OF BIODIVERSITY IN THE WORLD AND WHY WE MUST PRESERVE IT.

On May 22, we celebrate International Biodiversity Day. The date created by the United Nations (ON) on May 22, 1992, is intended to make the population of the world aware of the importance of biological diversity and the preservation of biodiversity in all ecosystems.

The date is a tribute to the day of approval of the final text of the Convention on Biological Diversity, called “Nairobi Final Act of the Conference for the Adoption of the Agreed Text of the Convention on Biological Diversity”. Before, International Biodiversity Day was celebrated on December 29, when the Convention on Biological Diversity came into force.

Biodiversity, or biological diversity, is the set of all existing living beings, which includes all plants, animals, and microorganisms on Earth. And it is precisely this diversity and the interaction between these different species that makes our planet so unique.

Every year the UN sets a slogan for the date, this years will be: “We are part of the solution”. The slogan was chosen to continue the momentum generated last year under the comprehensive theme, “Our solutions are in nature”, which served to remind us that biodiversity continues to be the answer to several challenges of sustainable development.

Why should we preserve Biodiversity?

The loss of biodiversity and the destruction of the environment directly impacts our lives and, at the moment, we are seeing an example of this. The more we destroy natural ecosystems, the more we facilitate the appearance of diseases, which can turn into epidemics and pandemics and lead to losses for the whole of society, a fact that has been warned by science for years. 

This is because the transformation of natural landscapes has caused us to come in more and more contact with beings that carry pathogens, which are capable of affecting our health and causing infectious diseases. 

On the other hand, a strong and protected biodiversity only benefits the planet and us human beings. 

The importance of preserving Biodiversity

- Ethical: human beings are dominant on Earth, so they have a moral duty to protect other species;

- Aesthetics: the natural beauty of a country or region differentiates it from other places, in addition to being a visual and natural attraction;

- Economic: a large part of the resources used for human survival are taken from nature. Because of this dependency, we must maintain it and, also, look for other ways to exploit its resources in a sustainable way;

- Functional: the natural balance present in biodiversity guarantees cleaner air, climate regulation, food, and control of soil problems.

For these reasons, sustainable practices must be present in everyday life, thus, government agencies must inspect preserved regions; industries need to look for ways to produce in an ecological way, in order to reduce environmental impacts.

Encouraging the population's awareness, in general, about the use of natural resources without waste, the importance of selective collection, and the correct separation of garbage, among other attitudes, are ways to guarantee the preservation of species.

Aichi Goals: The “Decade of Biodiversity”

The Aichi Goals for Biodiversity, defined in 2010, offer an overview of the state of nature and assess the progress of the conservation goals of the planet's biological diversity.

The result of the last report, made in September 2020, is that none of the international goals has been fully achieved. Among the 20 environmental commitments, only six were “partially met”. They are prevention of invasive species, conservation of protected areas, access and benefit sharing of genetic resources, biodiversity strategies and action plans, information sharing, and resource mobilization.

For the executive secretary of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, the report highlights the crossroads at which humanity finds itself: “The [current] rate of loss of biological diversity is unprecedented in human history and pressures are intensifying. (…) The more humanity explores nature in an unsustainable way, the more we damage our well-being, security, and prosperity. ”

Preserving is everyone's duty!

The preservation of Biodiversity occurs with sustainable attitudes, such as the conscious use of natural resources, separation, and correct disposal of garbage, among other actions.

Preserving the environment is everyone's obligation and duty, after all, it comes from everything we need to live and be healthy.

Vitta Gold Cosmetics is a company that preserves the environment and animals, for this it supports several NGOs for the protection of the Amazon, does not carry out animal tests, and abhors any kind of mistreatment of animals of any species. Learn more about Vitta Gold and its products for beauty and hair treatments.