What is biodiversity and why we need it

In the third week on October this year, representatives from more than 100 countries met virtually in Kunming, China to discuss how to protect biodiversity on Earth. Many scientists have been saying that biodiversity loss is as big a problem as the climate crisis. Let’s see what it is all about.  

What is biodiversity?  
The word biodiversity comes from ‘bio’, meaning life, and ‘diverse’, meaning various. Over millions of years, life evolved on Earth, changing form – from tiny bacteria – to massive dinosaurs. All these forms of life, present and extinct, make up our biodiversity. What’s more, all life forms are linked to support the ecological balance of the biosphere.  

Why is biodiversity important?  
No animal or plant is here without a reason. They are mostly directly or indirectly part of the food chain. They also rejuvenate the soil which supports us as food and habitat, and refresh all waters. We can literally feel global warming now, and one of the biggest reasons for it is indiscriminate deforestation. Threatened animals such as tigers and whales are important links in the Earth’s interconnected ecosystem, and if they become extinct, we will also be in trouble. Most humans are unable to comprehend this until weather or resource crisis hits them.  

Why is biodiversity under threat? 
Like the climate crisis, biodiversity loss is increasingly caused mainly by humans. Climate change plays a part in it too. But perhaps the biggest way humans are causing biodiversity loss is by taking over natural habitats, destroying them for farming, mining, lumbering, fishing etc. We are also adding to the threat by fishing and hunting some species to the point of extinction, and polluting land, air and sea.  

What can people do to protect biodiversity?  
In 1992, most countries began signing an agreement called the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The agreement aims to protect the world’s biodiversity. The CBD annual summit was delayed due to the pandemic, and that is what the Kunming meeting we mentioned at the beginning was. One of the biggest goals announced in Kunming is to protect 30% of the land and ocean biodiversity by 2030. Another is to reduce dangerous chemical pollution from farming, and other pollution sources.