May 22 is International Day for Biological Diversity
Today nobody questions the significance of biological diversity and its immense role for the survival of humankind, well being of people, eradicating of healthy life, or development of countries. Despite this, loss of biodiversity, destruction of ecosystem services and progression of many other adverse processes such is global climate change have been growing increasingly.
In light of this, the formation of healthy society, growing up of generations oriented towards protection and preservation of biodiversity and rising of their awareness as well as promotion of benefits delivered by biodiversity and facilitating to actions that prevent threats to biodiversity are of high importance.
On May 22 the world holds the International Day for Biological Diversity as biodiversity is perceived to be a source for solution of global problems. The UN General Assembly announced this date for the International Day for Biological Diversity in 2000 and thus once more highlighted the necessity for its protection.
Currently the world faces many environmental challenges and problems that should be solved. Often their scale is global, and common efforts and commitments are required to address them. In this regards, processes linked to biodiversity and biodiversity loss should be paid attention. These processes are tightly interconnected so that represent a serious factor hindering robust and full value functioning of ecosystem. As a result, proper and unrestricted delivery of ecosystem services is disrupted. The above-mentioned negatively affects overall well being of people and sustainable development, which imply a balanced linkage between ecologic, economic and social factors.
Measures for the protection, conservation and restoration of biodiversity as well as avoidance of its degradation are essential components of the sustainable development and accomplishment of the Sustainable Development Goals, which could be mainly achieved through the maintenance of diverse and key ecosystem services offered by biodiversity. This is a prerequisite to attain important goals such are: elimination of poverty; ending of hunger, achievement of food security and improved nutrition, and promotion of sustainable agriculture; promotion of sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all; building of resilient infrastructure, promoting of inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation, etc. not to speak about goals which are immediately related to the protection and restoration of biodiversity (e.g.: to take urgent actions to combat climate change and its impacts; to protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss; etc.).
With its reaches biodiversity, high endemic and on-going processes, Georgia is a part of global biodiversity and global processes. Respectively, it is important for our society to acknowledge of all the above mentioned, and participate in global and local processes so that not to be just their observer.
Of course, the Convention on Biological Diversity echoes this date and evolves discussions about topical themes such are: important role of biodiversity in solution of climate change, food security and health care problems, the nature as a way for solving of our problems, etc. Today the world suffers and fights against one more sorrowful challenge in face of the pandemic caused by the new corona virus and related threats. Nowadays, in the context of this virus and pandemic, the global community makes efforts to revise their attitude to the nature. It is obvious that despite technological achievements people are completely dependent on healthy natural ecosystems as a primary source that support our health and provide us with fresh water, food, cloth, fuel, shelter, energy and many other benefits. For this reason, it is important to share a common, global understanding that the nature is the way towards solution of our problems and our survival which enables achieving the main goal – to live in harmony with the nature.