Biological diversity
YESTERDAY was the 25th International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB). The day was designated as such by the United Nations to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues.
Originally set by the Second Committee of the UN General Assembly on December 29 in 1993, the UN GA finally adopted May 22 as the IDB “to commemorate the adoption of the text of the Convention on 22 May 1992 by the Nairobi Final Act of the Conference for the Adoption of the Agreed Text of the Convention on Biological Diversity” and in recognition of the fact that countries can hardly celebrate anything else in December given that it’s the Yule season and there are several holidays occurring in December. It has since been celebrated every May 22.
As the United Nations Environment Programme (Unep) states in its publication Biodiversity, “Habitat loss and degradation from agriculture and infrastructure development, overexploitation, pollution and invasive alien species remain the predominant threats.”
This year’s theme is: “Celebrating 25 Years of Action for Biodiversity”.
We can only wonder what else needs to be done given that we are all now experiencing weather as hot as never before and floodwaters come in greater volume than ever, and yet we cannot still make the connection that all this will affect our environment consequently biodiversity. We too can hardly make the connection that the single piece of plastic we threw away can find itself in the sea and poison or starve yet another endangered species, hastening their extinction.
True, Davao City hosts a facility that is among the most advanced in conservation of the endangered Philippine Eagle, but they can only do so much. The task on hand in conserving and sustaining biological diversity is in our every action that benefits the earth, whether it be proper waste disposal, opting to propagate organically, or even just conserving water. All these little acts, when multiplied by 103-million (Philippine population), these take on humongous proportions. Now, imagine that majority of the 103-million are in fact doing things that destroy the environment. Then, woe to us.
For 25 years, majority merely relegated the fight for biodiversity to the environmentally conscious, to the environmental activities. That is sad, because this fight is for the survival of the earth. Simply said, this fight is for every one of us, including that newborn you are holding in your arms this very minute. let us then all join this fight and truly celebrate our collective actions for biodiversity.