Over the last 50 years, the world has gone through a colossal shift in global trade, consumption patterns, human population growth, and urbanization. These massive changes have led to a rise in demand for resources to feed and fuel our 21st century lifestyles, resulting to three-quarters of land-based natural ecosystems being significantly altered through human actions to a point where we are overusing the Earth’s biocapacity by at least 56%. This transformation of our natural world is further being exacerbated by the effects of climate change, both of which are hugely contributing to the loss of biodiversity at an alarming rate.
Our beloved country Kenya, has a large diversity of ecological zones and habitats which are home to an enormous diversity of wildlife species, and which provide may goods and services that form the foundation of some of the key sectors such as agriculture, forestry, mining e.t.c, that drive the country’s socio-economic development. However, over the last few years, the country has also been experiencing dynamic land use/land cover changes, which have also contributed to the loss of the country's biodiversity. Together with the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, some sectors such as the tourism sector have taken a huge hit, almost bringing the industry to a standstill, and this has significantly affected the country's economy.
The infographic below provides an overview of the current status of biodiversity conservation in Kenya;
As the country strives to recover from the pandemic in an effort to go back to normal, the 2019 Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Global Assessment indicated that going-back-to-normal or as some say business as usual, will not be a sustainable option as it created widespread ecosystem degradation. Current ongoing global discussions are now emphasizing on the need for countries to Build Back Better, with the view of establishing a post-COVID world where countries transform their development models to promote greener pathways that tackle the economic drivers that create ecological disruptions in a bid to reverse decades of biodiversity and ecosystem losses.
As we near the launching of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, it is important we understand that we are all part of the solution towards preventing and restoring degraded environments in order to protect our biological diversity. This we can do by;
changing our values, attitudes and beliefs in the way we perceive and engage with the natural world;
planting flowers, fruits and vegetables that are native to your local area;
pushing for local and county legislations that protect natural habitats by outlawing unsustainable exploitation of natural resources;
educating yourself and those around you on the importance of conserving biodiversity;
go green by purchasing eco-friendly products to reduce your environmental foot print, among others.
#ForNature #InternationalDayforBiologicalDiversity #Kenya #We'rePartoftheSolution #LoveNature #GenerationRestoration
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