BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION IN AN ERA OF RAPID GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE

Abstract

Biodiversity is essential to the sustainability of ecosystems, their ability to recover from disturbance, and the services they provide for human life. The rapidly changing environment has made biodiversity even less relevant. According to IPCC (2022), "climate change has caused substantial damages, and increasingly irreversible losses, in terrestrial, freshwater and coastal and open ocean marine ecosystems." This has profound effects on plants, animals, and humans. "Observed wildlife populations have seen a devastating 69% drop on average since 1970" (WWF, 2022); "more than 44,000 species are threatened with extinction" (IUCN, 2023); and "the biodiversity that underpins our food systems is disappearing" (FAO, 2019). This review describes current status of biodiversity conservation and challenges associated with human activity. It acknowledges that “climate change puts additional stresses on land, enhancing existing risks to livelihoods, biodiversity, human and ecosystem health” (IPCC, 2019). There are new approaches for the mitigation of biodiversity stress, including ecosystem-based adaptation and nature-based solutions, which affirms that “protecting biodiversity and ecosystems is fundamental to climate resilient development” (IPCC, 2023). The paper recommends linking science to adaptive governance, sustainable development, and international conservation efforts to attain long-term goals. Future research should include developing predictive models and monitoring biodiversity closely to conservation targets. Biological diversity loss in a world where environmental change is rapid requires urgent and effective action.