The National Biodiversity Authority has released a new set of rules to manage sharing of benefits generated through the use of biological resources. The Biological Diversity (Access to biological Resources and Knowledge Associated thereto and Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits) Regulation 2025 was approved by the Central government and …
Western Africa is rich in freshwater biodiversity and regional endemicity, supporting the entire global populations of many threatened freshwater species including fishes, molluscs, dragonflies, crabs, shrimps and aquatic plants. This report builds on a regional baseline assessment completed in 2009 as well as an assessment of freshwater Key Biodiversity Areas …
Alongside their contribution to biodiversity conservation, protected and conserved areas are increasingly recognised as important sources of a wide range of benefits, or ecosystem services, that humans gain from intact, natural ecosystems. Well-governed and well-managed protected areas are among the most effective tools for maintaining ecosystems – such as forests, …
Along with defining the measures needed to achieve ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA), solid governance components are imperative to make it effective. Such governance must be flexible, participatory, multidimensional and include ecosystem-based approaches (maintain ecosystem structure and function to guarantee human well-being). The aim of this book is to reflect upon and …
Agriculture is the largest single source of environmental degradation, responsible for over 30% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, 70% of freshwater use and 80% of land conversion: it is the single largest driver of biodiversity loss (Foley et al. 2011, 2005; IPBES 2019; Willett et al. 2019). Agriculture also …
Nature is in freefall. This report discusses humanity’s addiction to burning fossil fuels and converting natural ecosystems for agriculture is changing the climate, degrading once-productive lands and driving plant and animal species to extinction. And it’s no coincidence that millions of people each year are killed by the direct consequences …
A recently published report, “State of protected areas in Central Africa: 2020,” explains the current condition of protected areas in Central Africa and provides recommendations for their improvement. It was published by the Central Africa Forest Observatory (OFAC), which gathers data on the ecosystems of the 10 member countries of …
“Nature-based solutions” (NbS) have been defined as “actions to protect, sustainably manage and restore natural or modified ecosystems that address societal challenges…”. The societal challenge to which NbS are most commonly applied at present is the mitigation of climate change. In this context, emissions of the greenhouse gases that cause …
As United Nations biodiversity negotiations begin next week, a new report commissioned by WWF reveals that 39 million jobs could be created if governments reallocated just one year’s worth of subsidies that harm biodiversity to a nature-positive stimulus instead. The Halve Humanity’s Footprint on Nature to Safeguard our Future report …
Unlocking Nature-Smart Development: An Approach Paper on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services is part of a series of papers by the World Bank Group that outlines the development challenges and opportunities associated with blue and green biodiversity and ecosystem services. The paper makes the case that the rapid global decline in …
Agriculture is the largest single source of environmental degradation, responsible for over 30% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, 70% of freshwater use and 80% of land conversion: it is the single largest driver of biodiversity loss (Foley et al. 2011, 2005; IPBES 2019; Willett et al. 2019). Agriculture also …
The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has grouped all its member states into 12 sub-regional implementation support networks to facilitate the coordination, communication, and implementation of the agreed national priority actions and other commitments for achieving Aichi Target 11. The South Asia sub-region includes nine countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, …
Biodiversity is declining faster than at any other period in human history. Direct drivers of the decline include changes in land and sea use, over-exploitation of organisms, climate change, pollution and invasive alien species. These drivers are themselves influenced by demographic, macroeconomic and political factors. Such a rapid decline is …
As negotiations continue on biodiversity action for the next decade, now is the critical moment to seize the opportunity for embedding a landscape perspective throughout the new UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). While nature and biodiversity are being lost worldwide, and the capacity of …
Nature-based Solutions (NbS) have the power to tackle biodiversity loss, climate change and poverty in an integrated way, so their appeal to governments, businesses and civil society groups is understandable. If done well, Nature-based solutions could hold the key to cost-effective ways of protecting, sustainably managing, and restoring ecosystems, while …
Climate change and the biodiversity crisis are driving a demand for actions that build long-term resilience of societies, ecosystems, and economies. EbA uses natural systems to build the resilience of ecosystems, as well as the communities that depend on them. This process provides an opportunity to actively promote gender equality …
The fulfilment of a broad range of human rights depend on thriving biodiversity as well as healthy habitats and ecosystems. These rights include the rights to food, clean air and water, health, culture, and even the right to life. Conversely, biodiversity and habitat loss can result in violations of these …
The MPA Outlook, from the Nairobi Convention and the Western Indian Ocean Marine Science Association, documents progress made by countries in the region towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 14.5 and provides lessons and opportunities to increase momentum for achieving post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework targets.
The Secretariats of the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm (BRS) Conventions and the Minamata Convention on Mercury published a study inspired by the ongoing discussions on a post-2020 global biodiversity framework. The report highlights interlinkages between the work of the global chemicals and waste conventions and conventions related to biodiversity, with …
The UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Secretariat released the first official draft of a new Global Biodiversity Framework to guide actions worldwide through 2030 to preserve and protect nature and its essential services to people. The framework includes 21 targets for 2030 that call for, among other things: At …
Order of the Supreme Court of India in the matter of Bonani Kakkar Vs Oil India Limited & Others dated 01/07/2021. The matter related to assessment of damage and destruction caused to the biodiversity of Dibru Saikhowa National Park and Biosphere Reserve due to the blowout which took place from …