International Day for Biological Diversity |24 May 2021

‘We're part of the solution’

The International Day for Biological Diversity celebrated on May 22 is an annual observance that highlights the importance of biodiversity to our planet and the need to conserve and protect it.

To mark the occasion, the Minister for Agriculture, Climate Change and Environment, Flavien Joubert, stressed that we must all play a role in protecting our biodiversity.

“It is important that we shine a spotlight on protecting our biodiversity and encourage the public, businesses who benefit from our biodiversity to help in protecting it,” said the minister.

He added that simple things can go a long way in protecting biodiversity. He noted that in recent years protection of turtles has been heavily publicised however there are many species who continue to be endangered such as plants whose survival is being threatened by development.

“Recently we conducted research on ‘bwa dou’, a plant found on Mahé, Praslin and La Digue and we discovered that all three islands have different species of that plant, which means that if we lose one of the population on one island we will lose them forever,” said the minister.

The minister added that amphibians in the country need a certain type of climate to be able to survive and due to climate change their environment is changing so we must pay attention and do what we can to protect them.

He also noted that there are many researches being conducted to determine where there might be important plant population. This research will help the ministry of environment determine if these plants are endangered or becoming extinct.

“The extinction of species can happen and it can happen without us even knowing. As we sell ourselves as a country with a good connection to the environment we must put the protection of biodiversity at the forefront and contribute to its growth,” said the minister.

Humans have changed ecosystems more rapidly and extensively than in any comparable period of time in human history, largely to meet rapidly growing demand for food, fresh water, timber, fiber and fuel. This has resulted in a substantial and largely irreversible loss in the diversity of life on Earth. It has been proven that biodiversity loss could expand zoonoses – diseases transmitted from animals to humans – while, on the other hand, if we keep biodiversity intact, it offers excellent tools to fight against pandemics like those caused by coronaviruses. Therefore we must all play our part in protecting our biodiversity.

Christophe Zialor