The worldwide observance of the International Biodiversity Day commemorates the adoption of the text of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) on 22 May 1992 and provides a unique opportunity to foster wide support for the Convention, its Protocols and related action frameworks. The Theme of Biodiversity Day 2024 is: "Be part of the Plan"
East Africa is globally recognized for its rich biodiversity and iconic landscapes. Wildlife is a critical asset for East Africa’s future growth and development. For example, the total direct contribution toGross Domestic Product of nature-based tourism to Kenya and Tanzania is over USD $1.2 billion. Managed well, these resources spur economic growth and improve livelihoods. However, factors like climate change, wildlife crime, habitat fragmentation, human wildlife conflicts, and urban expansion are threatening conservation efforts.
Invasive alien species remains
as a ‘silent’ but major challenge to biodiversity globally and in East Africa,
as it is underappreciated, underestimated, and often unacknowledged. Goal D of
the Biodiversity Plan (Invest
and Collaborate) focuses on ensuring adequate financial resources,
capacity-building, technical and scientific cooperation, and access to and
transfer of technology is imperative to fully implement the Plan in addressing
the above and other challenges. But this should not suffer the
fate of unfulfilled financial commitments (the USD 100 billion per year) under
the Paris Climate Change Agreement.
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