International Day for Biological Diversity
The International Day for Biological Diversity is an annual holiday observed on May 22nd to raise awareness about the importance of biodiversity and its crucial role in maintaining a healthy planet. The holiday was first established by the United Nations in 1993, following the adoption of the Convention on Biological Diversity at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro.
The Convention on Biological Diversity is an international treaty that aims to conserve and sustainably use the world’s biological diversity. It recognizes that biodiversity is important for the health and well-being of humanity and that it is our collective responsibility to protect it.
The International Day for Biological Diversity was established to raise awareness about biodiversity’s importance and encourage people to take action to protect it. Each year, the holiday has a different theme, with the theme for 2022 being “Ecological Restoration.”
On the International Day for Biological Diversity, events and activities take place worldwide to celebrate the beauty and diversity of life on Earth and promote its conservation. These events may include educational programs, tree-planting initiatives, nature walks, and other activities to raise awareness about the importance of biodiversity and the need to protect it.
See also: Biodiversity Footprint vs Carbon Footprint.
Overall, the International Day for Biological Diversity is an important holiday that highlights biodiversity’s vital role in maintaining a healthy and sustainable planet. By raising awareness about the issue and encouraging people to take action to protect biodiversity, we can work towards ensuring a healthy and thriving planet for ourselves and for future generations.
How to celebrate:
- Start your own organic garden, which includes native plants.
- Visit a farmers market and purchase local produce.
- Take a walk through a local or national park and try to identify the different plants, insects, and animals you discover.
- Learn more about biodiversity by visiting your local library or a nature museum.
- Visit a local conservation area.
- Join a local park clean-up team to remove invasive plants from your local environment.
Fun Facts:
- Biological diversity includes the variety of plants, animals, and microorganisms, genetic differences within each species, and ecosystems that host multiple interactions among their members.
- The main global drivers of biodiversity loss are climate change, invasive species, over-exploitation of natural resources, pollution and urbanization.
- Biological diversity boosts ecosystem productivity by ensuring different crops can grow.
- More than 3 billion people depend on marine and coastal biodiversity, while another 1.6 billion depend on forests.
