Biodiversity conservation key in achieving sustainable development

Children participate in tree planting in Narasha Forest, Baringo County, on December 13, 2024. [File, Standard] As we mark the International Day for Biological Diversity in 2025, this year's theme of Harmony with Nature and Sustainable Development delivers both a timely reminder and a pressing challenge. It asks us to reconsider how we live, how we grow, and how we measure progress. At its heart lies a fundamental truth: there can be no sustainable development without thriving biodiversity. Biodiversity, the incredible variety of life on Earth, is not a distant concept confined to rainforests or coral reefs. It is the air we breathe, the food we eat and the water we drink. It is the pollinators that fertilise our crops, the fungi that replenish our soils, the wetlands that filter our water, and the forests that regulate our climate. It is not just life on Earth, it is what makes life possible. Yet, we continue to treat nature as expendable, a resource to be exploited rather than a partner in our survival. The world is losing species at rates not seen since the last mass extinction. Natural habitats are shrinking, and ecosystems are collapsing. And the consequences are not abstract; they are hitting home, from food shortages and water stress to the spread of zoonotic diseases and rising costs of living. The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework adopted in 2022, offers a vital roadmap to halt and reverse this destruction. Among its targets include protecting 30 per cent of the planet's land and oceans by 2030, restoring degraded ecosystems, and ensuring that the use of biodiversity is sustainable. But for this to succeed, it must be fully aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals. These frameworks are not competing agendas. They are two sides of the same coin. Historically, nature and development have been cast as adversaries. Forests fall for farmland. Rivers are dammed for energy. Wetlands make way for concrete jungles. But this is a false dichotomy. Development that destroys biodiversity is ultimately self-defeating. What is the value of a short-term economic gain if it undermines the ecosystems on which our long-term prosperity depends? Take agriculture, for instance, a re-imagined approach through agroecology, regenerative practices and indigenous wisdom can feed the world while enriching the land. These methods support biodiversity, reduce dependency on harmful chemicals and build resilience to climate change. Far from being anti-development, they are development done right. Urban spaces, too, offer a chance to reset the relationship between people and nature. Cities can become biodiversity hotspots, with green roofs, native plant corridors, and restored rivers. Such design not only supports wildlife but also improves human wellbeing; reducing heat, pollution and stress, while fostering community cohesion. The theme of harmony with nature also forces a reckoning with our economic models. Gross domestic product, long treated as the gold standard of progress, counts deforestation as a gain but fails to account for the cost of degraded soil, polluted air, or species loss. We need new metrics that recognise the real value of ecosystem services and invest in the natural infrastructure that underpins our economies. This transition is not simply the job of governments and international bodies. Every one of us has a role to play. Individuals can make informed consumer choices, support local conservation and reconnect with the natural world. Schools must place environmental literacy at the heart of curricula. Businesses must embed nature-positive practices in their supply chains. And policymakers must have the courage to move beyond lip service to action. Marginalisation and dispossession Justice must also be at the centre of this transformation. Indigenous peoples and local communities are often the most effective custodians of biodiversity, yet they face marginalisation and dispossession. Protecting biodiversity must go hand in hand with protecting rights, access, and cultural identity. Likewise, solidarity is essential. The global South, home to much of the world's remaining biodiversity, cannot be expected to shoulder the burden alone. Equitable finance, technology transfer, and fair trade are essential. The international community must recognise that biodiversity loss anywhere threatens prosperity everywhere. This is a moment of choice. We can continue down a path of ecological overshoot and social inequity, or we can choose a different path: one rooted in respect for life in all its forms. A path where development means thriving communities and thriving ecosystems. Where progress is measured not only by profit, but by planetary health. Harmony with nature and sustainable development is not just a theme for a single day. It is a compass for the future we must build; urgently, inclusively, and together. The clock is ticking, but hope remains. If we heed the call to live in balance with the natural world, we may yet secure a future worth inheriting. - The writer is the CEO of the African Biodiversity Alliance, treasurer of the Association of Media Women in Kenya, and a member of the Steering Committee of the Intersectoral Forum on Agrobiodiversity and Agroecology.

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