International Day for Biological Diversity

The theme for May 22, 2023, is "From Agreement to Action: Rebuild Biodiversity Together." This motto calls for concrete actions to achieve the goals of the "Living in Harmony with Nature" framework campaign.

The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework is a significant achievement for the international community, but it is only a starting point. Protecting biodiversity is in our own best interest. Biological resources are the pillars on which we build civilizations. They provide us with unique ecosystem "goods and services": food and water, wood for construction and fuel, raw materials for medicines, and much more. Insects pollinate the crops in our fields, forests prevent climate change, and wetlands prevent droughts. Conserving ecosystems and biodiversity makes all areas of our lives more resilient.

Every extinct species is an irreplaceable loss. Food chains will be broken, the natural balance will be disrupted, and the ecosystem can no longer be restored. Efforts should primarily focus on species on the brink of extinction, at least stabilizing their numbers, and striving for an increase.

On December 20, 2000, the UN General Assembly proclaimed May 22, the day the Convention on Biological Diversity was adopted, as the International Day for Biological Diversity.

Biological diversity, in general, means the entire multifacetedness of life around us. A product of billions of years of evolution, plants, animals, and microorganisms have developed under the influence of natural factors. In recent years, humans have become one of these factors. Despite this, we are still just one form of life and are closely connected to a rich, living, evolving planet.

Species extinction is a natural process, but under human influence, it has accelerated many times over. Due to our thoughtless actions, the planet faces a crisis unparalleled since the extinction of the dinosaurs.

In Belarus, 27,000 species of living organisms have been registered. Scientists estimate that their total number, including those not yet studied, could reach 42,000.

Flora of Belarus, as shown by long-term observations, is most affected by human impact. Of all plant species in the country, 2.5% are included in the Red Book. The most prominent group of plant life is vascular plants, and among them, the largest proportion of threatened species: the Red Book of Belarus lists 11.2% of species. On the one hand, the flora of Belarus is becoming impoverished. In recent years, 50 indigenous species have disappeared. On the other hand, the flora is enriched by cultivated, introduced, and naturalized species. Scientists also discover previously unknown plants.

Among animals, 1.2% of all species are included in the Red Book. However, the majority of Belarus's fauna, as in the rest of the world, consists of insects. Red Book mammals account for 24%, birds for 21.1%, and reptiles for 28.6%. No disappearances of wild animals have been recorded in the country over the past 10 years. On the contrary, the fauna is being replenished both through the discovery of new species and the expansion of the range of existing ones. For example, praying mantises, previously found only in the vicinity of Gomel, have spread throughout Belarus. Species not seen for decades are also being registered: the giant noctule bat, the Siberian flying squirrel, etc.

The main threat to rare species is the degradation of ecosystems due to both climate change and economic activities. The populations of the European ground squirrel, Aquatic warbler, Great snipe, and other wetland birds are declining. The European mink and the thick-shelled river crayfish, in addition, suffer from competition with invasive species. The creation of barriers on water bodies has led to a sharp decline in the eel population.

The predominant ecosystems in Belarus are forests and agricultural lands. In addition to these, wetlands, meadows, and water bodies – rivers and lakes – are the most important. Each of them has its significance and faces specific challenges. Forests are threatened by drying out due to climate change and the invasion of bark beetles. Wetlands are threatened by disruption of the hydrological regime and peatland degradation. Floodplain meadows are overgrown with shrubs.

The area of protected territories in Belarus is quite large. 15% of all forests are part of nature reserves, and 62% of natural wetlands have protected status. In addition to protection, restoration measures are also carried out. Vegetation is mown on meadows, disturbed wetlands and degraded peatlands are reclaimed, and forests are planted.

The basis for preserving biodiversity is continuous environmental monitoring. Based on observation data and their analysis, scientists identify bottlenecks, develop plans, programs, and recommendations for nature conservation and restoration. In Belarus, the National Environmental Monitoring System of the Republic of Belarus (NEMS) has been established for these purposes. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, Belhydromet, organizations of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, and others participate in this work.