THE 15th session of the United Nations Biodiversity Conference, COP15, which began December 7 and ends today December 19, 2022, in Montreal, Canada, is a continuation of the quest by the caring world to halt the ongoing rapid loss of earth’s diverse plant and animal life, called biodiversity – the sum of all living things on the planet and the way they are connected in a complex web of life that we rely upon for food, clean air and water.

Out of the estimated eight million species of plants and animals in the world, one million are said to be threatened with extinction, while ecosystem degradation is affecting the well-being of 40 per cent of the global population.

The concerns expressed about biodiversity loss are not confined to paper or theory, the consequences are already here and devastating. Soil erosion, desert encroachment, an acute loss of soil nutrients resulting in soil infertility and crop failure, the emergence of novel diseases and pandemics that defy solutions, are only but few examples of disruptions arising from losses in bio-diversity.

It is possible that some of the plants and animals on the verge of extinction now hold the keys to the formulation of vaccines and medicines against some of the present and future diseases that will afflict humanity.

The saddest aspect of it all is that humans are responsible for this crisis, hence the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, declared at the beginning of the conference that humanity is at war with nature and “has become a weapon of mass extinction”. However, we have an opportunity to halt the “orgy of destruction… It is time to forge a peace pact with nature,” Guterres said.

Loss of natural habitat is one of the key drivers of biodiversity loss, and it has emerged from the summit that the United Kingdom is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world. According to reports, the UK, which is among the countries pushing for a key goal of protecting 30 per cent of land and sea by 2030, would work with countries around the globe to put the natural world back on the road to recovery.

The big question is: while Western nations are lamenting their biodiversity losses, should we in Nigeria and Africa, sheepishly follow suit and allow whatever remains of ours to be similarly lost? Although it is getting late to prevent ourselves from falling into the same pit, a lot can still be achieved by adopting and adapting some of the measures outlined at the summit to our own needs.  

First, we must be sensitised enough to recognise that nature is critical to meeting the Sustainable Development Goals and limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Then, we need to adopt a bold biodiversity framework that addresses the key drivers of nature loss in order to secure our own health and well-being alongside that of the planet.

We must work hard to discourage our people and businesses from polluting, fragmenting, overexploiting nature and engaging in unsustainable agricultural practices, while recognising the rights and contributions of indigenous peoples as stewards of nature.

All levels of government must get involved by providing needed funds for biodiversity projects such as conservation and incentives for communities that preserve their forests.