‘All our solutions have always been in nature’

Says Dia Mirza, as she spreads the message of environment conservation on International Biodiversity Day

Every breath of air we take, every mouthful of food we eat, depends upon a healthy natural world.” This statement by Sir David Attenborough is a simple and effective description of the delicate balance between man and nature. A balance that Dia Mirza has focused on in her conversations on environmental and wildlife conservation in the country.

May 22 declared as the International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB) by the United Nations 20 years ago, presents a theme that couldn’t ring truer now more than ever before: Our solutions are in nature. As an invisible virus engulfs the globe, Dia reiterates that so much of what is happening to mankind bears unmistakable ties with nature and the environment. “All of our solutions have always been in nature. It’s a message we have heard numerous times before but as a planet are recognizing it only now,” Mirza says.

According to the UN, around 25% of all animal and plant species are

threatened with extinction globally. The International Day for Biological Diversity is an effort to create conversations on the importance of biodiversity and draw attention to the biodiversity loss we are faced with.

As the world battles the coronavirus, this day and its theme emphasizes hope, solidarity, and the importance of working together at all levels to build a future of life in harmony with nature. “Today, more than ever, we as a planet are called to reflect on our relationship with the natural world. The pandemic has unmistakably highlighted how our bond with the environment has existed well-before everything else. Everything we do, are and will be, is ultimately tied to nature to create one people and planet,” Dia said.

Dia believes that the creative arts, cinema, documentaries, and photography are powerful tools for social change and conservation, and this International Biodiversity Day she urges people to adapt and adopt a lifestyle that increases the resilience of nations and communities as we recover from this pandemic.