International Day for Biological Diversity

International Day for Biological Diversity

The International Day for Biological Diversity (or World Biodiversity Day) is a United Nations–sanctioned international holiday for the promotion of biodiversity issues. It is currently held on May 22.

From its creation by the Second Committee of the UN General Assembly in 1993 until 2000, it was held on December 29 to celebrate the day the Convention on Biological Diversity went into effect. In December 2000, the date was shifted to commemorate the adoption of the Convention on May 22, 1992 at the Rio Earth Summit, and partly to avoid the many other holidays that occur in late December.

Recently, the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA), indicated that climate change is likely to become the dominant direct driver of biodiversity loss by the end of the century. Current climate change estimates predict increases in temperatures of 1.4°C to 5.8°C by 2100.Fact|date=May 2008 This will affect species in several ways such as: changes in distribution; increased extinction rates; changes in reproduction timings; and changes in length of growing seasons for plants.

The rich variety of life on Earth has always had to deal with a changing climate. However, the unprecedented pace of change we are presently experiencing is so rapid that a great number of species can not adapt fast enough to the new conditions,Fact|date=May 2008 or move to regions more suited for their survival due to habitat fragmentation.Fact|date=May 2008 In fact, recent estimates show that up to a million species may become extinct as a result of climate change.Fact|date=May 2008

On the positive side, biodiversity can help to reduce the effects of climate change on the world’s population and ecosystems. Indeed, the links between biodiversity and climate change run both ways: biodiversity is threatened by climate change, but biodiversity resources can reduce the impacts of climate change. It is therefore crucial to conserve biodiversity that is especially sensitive to climate change, preserve habitats so as to facilitate the long-term adaptation of biodiversity, improve our understanding of climate change and biodiversity linkages, and fully integrate biodiversity considerations into mitigation and adaptation plans. If the threats of biodiversity loss and climate change are tackled together, the prospects for adapting successfully to the challenges of the coming decades will be very much improved. This constitutes the overall message for this year’s celebration of the International Day for Biological Diversity.

The [http://www.cbd.int/ibd Secretariat of the CBD] lists what has been done throughout the years to celebrate the International Day for Biological Diversity.

External links

* [http://www.cbd.int Convention on Biological Diversity]
* [http://www.maweb.org/en/index.aspx the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment]

abstract


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • International observance — This is not a list of National Days, commemorative days, or days which have some significance in one or a very small number of countries. International observance (also known as international dedication or international anniversary) denotes a… …   Wikipedia

  • International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture — The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, popularly known as the International Seed Treaty, is a comprehensive international agreement in harmony with Convention on Biological Diversity, which aims at… …   Wikipedia

  • International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement — Red Cross redirects here. For other uses, see Red Cross (disambiguation). Ibrahim Foundation The Red Cross and Red Crescent emblems, the symbols from which the movement derives its name. Founded 1863 Location Gen …   Wikipedia

  • Diversity of fish — Fish come in many shapes and sizes. This is a sea dragon, a close relative of the seahorse. They are camouflaged to look like floating seaweed.[1][2][3] …   Wikipedia

  • History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — For the book series on the LDS Church s early history, see History of the Church. The history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints (LDS Church) is typically divided into three broad time periods: (1) the early history during the… …   Wikipedia

  • International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses — The International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) is a committee which authorizes and organizes the taxonomic classification of viruses. They have developed a universal taxonomic scheme for viruses and aim to describe all the viruses of… …   Wikipedia

  • Biodiversity — Some of the biodiversity of a coral reef …   Wikipedia

  • List of United Nations-related topics — This is a list of topics related to United Nations.United Nations* United Nations * United Nations System * United Nations Compensation Commission * 1996 shelling of Qana * 2005 World Summit * 2006 United Nations Security Council election * 2010… …   Wikipedia

  • Level of support for evolution — The level of support for evolution among scientists, the public and other groups is a topic that frequently arises in the creation evolution controversy and touches on educational, religious, philosophical, scientific and political issues. The… …   Wikipedia

  • Measurement of biodiversity — Main article: Biodiversity Polar bears on the sea ice of the Arctic Ocean, near the north pole. A variety of objective measures have been created in order to empirically measure biodiversity. Each measure of biodiversity relates to a particular… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”