Biological Diversity: Protecting the variety of life on Earth

This policy brief outlines the international governance of biodiversity, focusing on the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and its associated protocols. It details the shift from species-based to area-based conservation, the challenges of ensuring fair benefit-sharing from genetic resources, and the regulatory complexities introduced by emerging technologies like synthetic biology and digital sequence information (DSI). The document emphasizes the urgency of moving away from "business as usual" to reverse biodiversity loss and achieve sustainable development goals.

• Biodiversity loss is accelerating at an unprecedented rate, with up to one million plant and animal species facing extinction. This decline is driven by habitat loss, farming, poaching, pollution, invasive species, andSSSSSS and global warming, exacerbated by population growth and unsustainable production and consumption patterns.
• The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), opened for signature on 5 June 1992, has three primary objectives: the conservation of biodiversity, the sustainable use of its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits derived from genetic resources. It has 196 parties, though the United States is a notable exception.
• The CBD employs an area-based conservation strategy known as the ecosystem approach, which focuses on the integrated management of land, water, and living resources. This differs from species-based approaches used by treaties like CITES and the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS).
• Agricultural biodiversity has suffered significant erosion, with an estimated 75% of genetic diversity in crops lost over the last century. This has resulted in a situation where 75% of global food is produced from only five animal species and 12 plants, increasing vulnerability to market shocks, pests, and extreme environmental conditions.
• The Nagoya Protocol was adopted to address the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge. However, implementation has been challenged by the hesitation of industrialized countries to adopt benefit-sharing measures and conflicts with intellectual property rights.
• Emerging technologies present significant regulatory challenges for the CBD. The Cartagena Protocol manages the transboundary movement of living modified organisms (LMOs), while the Nagoya-Kuala Lumpur Supplementary Protocol addresses liability and redress for biodiversity damage. Current debates center on whether benefit-sharing requirements should apply to Digital Sequence Information (DSI) and how to regulate synthetic biology.
• The international community has failed to meet the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, with only six of the targets being partially achieved. This failure is attributed to factors such as the complexity of biodiversity, lack of financial and human resources, and the prioritization of unsustainable socio-economic models.

APA

Tsioumanis,, E. T. (. (2020). Biological Diversity: Protecting the variety of life on Earth. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/articles/deep-dive/biological-diversity-protecting-variety-life-earth

Chicago

Tsioumanis,, Elsa Tsioumani (PhD),Asterios. Biological Diversity: Protecting the variety of life on Earth. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2020. https://www.iisd.org/articles/deep-dive/biological-diversity-protecting-variety-life-earth.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Tsioumanis, |first1=Elsa Tsioumani (PhD),Asterios |title=Biological Diversity: Protecting the variety of life on Earth |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=28 September 2020 |url=https://www.iisd.org/articles/deep-dive/biological-diversity-protecting-variety-life-earth |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{tsioumanis2020biological, author = {Tsioumanis,, Elsa Tsioumani (PhD),Asterios}, title = {{Biological Diversity: Protecting the variety of life on Earth}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2020}, month = sep, url = {https://www.iisd.org/articles/deep-dive/biological-diversity-protecting-variety-life-earth}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }