Biodiversity
Biological diversity, or biodiversity, is most often associated with the earth’s vast variety of plants, animals, and microorganisms, but the term encompasses diversity at all levels—from genes to species to ecosystems to landscapes. Scientists estimate there are approximately 8.7 million species globally, of which approximately 2.2 million are marine. In spite of 250 years of research and over 1.2 million species already identified, it is possible 86% of existing species on Earth and 91% of species in the ocean still await description.
In each ecosystem, including those that occur within or among forests, wetlands, mountains, deserts, and rivers, living creatures interact with each other as well as with the air, water, and soil around them, forming an interconnected community. The ecosystem services provided by biodiversity are estimated to be worth trillions of dollars—double the world’s GDP. Biodiversity also includes genetic differences within species, such as different breeds and varieties, as well as chromosomes, genes, and genetic sequences (DNA). Biodiversity also has human benefits. For example, many new medicines are harvested from nature, such as the rosy periwinkle, which provides two very important cancer-fighting medicines.
Events and Articles
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77th Meeting of the CITES Standing Committee
Delegates faced with 77 agenda items, with over 101 related documents spanning some 2,700 pages, were unable to complete the entire agenda, but were able to make recommendations on 11 compliance cases, establishment of the CITES Global Youth Network, seizure reporting on big cats, monitoring elephant poaching, and stockpiling timber.
GEO Week 2023
GEO Members adopted the GEO Post-2025 Strategy, which not only supports GEO’s continued leadership in enabling the provision and use of Earth observations but also introduces pathways for GEO to co-produce products and services with users and for users, thereby requiring GEO to adapt its operating model.
25th Meeting of the CBD Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical, and Technological Advice (SBSTTA 25) and Resumed Second Part of the 15th Meeting of the CBD Conference of the Parties
Ten months after adopting the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), delegates met to provide expert advice on the scientific, technical, and technological aspects of GBF implementation. At the resumed 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP), delegates conducted elections and discussed the date and venue of COP 16.
65th Meeting of the GEF Council
The 65th meeting of the Council of the Global Environment Facility (GEF) took place in a virtual setting, focusing on the GEF Strategy for Knowledge Management and Learning; enhancing policy coherence; and relations with Conventions and international institutions. Council Members further decided on the dates for the 66th to 68th Council meetings in 2024.
5th Forum of Ministers and Environment Authorities of Asia Pacific
The Forum brought together diverse countries with unique environmental challenges, fostering a spirit of collaboration to address the crises in the region.
10th Session of the IPBES Plenary and Stakeholder Day
Delegates celebrated the launch of a new report on invasive alien species and their control. They also adopted terms of reference for the midterm review of the work programme, and approved the scoping process for a second global assessment of biodiversity and ecosystem services, and approved undertaking two fast-track methodological assessments.
2023 CCICED Annual General Meeting
“A new paradigm of high-quality green development is well underway,” and China’s central role in driving this paradigm shift—and the lessons it offers for developing countries—was a key theme of the in-person meeting.
7th GEF Assembly
In a watershed moment for biodiversity, GEF Assembly members unanimously agreed to ratify the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund—a new source of funding for protecting endangered species and their ecosystems globally. The meeting also featured the first-ever Partnership Forum, which brought together Indigenous Peoples, youth, women, and representatives of civil society organizations to discuss ways the GEF can support their empowerment and recognition.
64th Meeting of the GEF Council
Council Members focused on supporting new, key environmental agreements and frameworks, reaching consensus on the establishment of the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund, including its programming directions, and on preparing the GEF to serve as part of the financial mechanism for the Agreement on biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ).
Further resumed 5th Session of the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) on BBNJ
Expected by many to be a game changer in Ocean governance, a new legally binding agreement on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ) was adopted by consensus at UN Headquarters in New York after 17 years of negotiations.