To sustain life, all living creatures including humans depends on biological diversity. Loss of biodiversity endangers the nature and humans as well. Biodiversity remains the answer to several sustainable development challenges. From nature-based solutions to climate, health issues, food and water security, and sustainable livelihoods, restoring biodiversity is the answer to our secured and safe future.

But, According to the latest Global Assessment by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), human activities are causing biodiversity loss at an anomalous rate. But, fortunately the assessment indicates that its not too late to act and restore the biodiversity.

However, due to the lack of awareness and understanding of the intensity of the biodiversity issue, we continues to threaten the nature and biodiversity decline increases day by day.

So, today, on 22nd May, marks the “International day of biological diversity”, in order to disseminate awareness about the significance of restoration of the biodiversity. Earlier, the day was celebrated on 29 December in 1993 but it got changed to 22 May due to the difficulty to carryout celebrations on 29 December, given the number of holidays that coincide around that time of year.

Theme of International Day of Biological Diversity

The theme for this year’s ‘International Day of Biological Diversity 2022’ is “Building a shared future for all life”. The theme was chosen to continue building momentum and support for the post-2020 global biodiversity framework to be adopted at the upcoming UN Biodiversity Conference #COP15. 

Despite our increasing advances in technological field, we are still entirely dependent on the ecosystems for our all sorts of necessities whether it water, food, clothes, fuel, energy or shelter. The theme also goes with United Nations Decade on Restoration, which forces towards preserving biodiversity in order to achieve sustained development goals and challenges.

Biological diversity not only includes variety among plants, animals and microorganisms but also the genetic differences among species like breeds of animals and varieties of a single crop and not only this but variety of ecosystems (lakes, deserts, forest etc.) with all its living creatures.


Human civilizations are build upon resources coming through biological diversity. Approximately, 80% of the human diet comes from plants excluding the plants consumed by animals. On the other hand, people of rural areas uses traditional plant-based medicines for their ailments as well as the people of urban areas too. 17% of the edible meat comes only from sea.

But unfortunately, human activity is threatening the biodiversity, which in turn effecting our health. Research has shown that biodiversity loss could expand zoonoses – transmission of diseases from animals to humans. However, by keeping biodiversity intact, it offers protection against pandemics like those caused by coronaviruses.

Restoration of biodiversity not only ensures safe present but it also ensures safe and healthy world for our future generations and living creatures of our ecosystems.

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 About the Author: Syeda Fatima Noor is a food technologist and an environmental enthusiast. She likes to keep on adding experiences in her life from different fields. She runs a Facebook group "Earth savers" playing her part in spreading awareness and encouraging people to go green for our Earth. She has a keen interest in learning new things and searching for answers.