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Add to Preferred SourcesPeople everywhere need to remember that we depend on Mother Earth to survive, the UN chief said in his message for World Wildlife Day, advocating for “a more caring, thoughtful and sustainable relationship with nature”.
Humanity is weaved into “the rich tapestry of life that makes up our world’s biological diversity”, said Secretary-General António Guterres. “All human civilizations have been, and continue to be, built on the use of wild and cultivated species of flora and fauna, from the food we eat to the air we breathe”.
And yet, today, close to a quarter of all species on the planet are in danger of becoming extinct in the next few decades.
“It seems that humanity has forgotten just how much we need nature for our survival and well-being”, he bemoaned.
As the world population and its needs continue to grow, people insist on exploiting natural resources – including wild plants and animals and their habitats – “in an unsustainable manner”, said Mr. Guterres.
He pointed out that in its 2019 Global Assessment, the Intergovernmental Panel for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) highlighted how the current global rate of species extinction is not only rampant but accelerating at a rate that is “tens to hundreds of times higher” than before human beings walked the earth.
“By overexploiting wildlife”, the UN chief said, “habitats and ecosystems, humanity is endangering both itself and the survival of countless species of wild plants and animals”.
On this World Wildlife Day, Mr. Guterres urged everyone to “remind ourselves of our duty to preserve and sustainably use the vast variety of life on the planet”.
“A world of thriving biodiversity provides the foundation we need to achieve our Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of a world of dignity and opportunity for all people on a healthy planet”, concluded the Secretary-General.
The theme of World Wildlife Day 2020, “Sustaining all life on Earth”, encompasses all wild animal and plant species as a component of biodiversity. It also shines a light on the livelihoods of people, especially those who live closest to nature.
Original source: UN News
Published on 02 March 2020