The environment is not a possession owned by any one individual. Under this natural world, countless varieties of living and non-living things have the right to coexist, and those currently existing live in harmony not only with one another but also with nature itself.
The theme for the 2026 International Day for Biological Diversity is “Acting Locally for Global Impact.” It means that small-scale actions taken individually or collectively, beginning within one’s own community and region, can create significant impacts on global biodiversity conservation.
All the forests, wetlands, wildlife, aquatic organisms, various plant species, and genetically diverse living organisms on Earth are collectively referred to as “biodiversity”. There are an estimated 8.7 million species of biodiversity on Earth, including plant and animal species. About 80 per cent of terrestrial and aquatic species, 75 per cent of bird species, and 68 per cent of mammal species live and thrive within forests.
Biodiversity, which is essential for all living things, is gradually declining and disappearing due to environmental problems caused by human activities, including deforestation, the degradation and loss of habitats for plants and wildlife, the expansion of agricultural land, the conversion of forest land to other uses, climate change, environmental pollution, and the excessive extraction and exploitation of natural resources. Around one million species worldwide are facing the threat of extinction, while more than 80 per cent of the world’s wetlands have been destroyed over the past century.
The excessive extraction and use of biodiversity, which is a natural resource, to meet human needs, as well as damage caused by other human activities, not only harm the natural environment but also destroy ecosystems, resulting in the decline and loss of wildlife and natural resources around the world. Therefore, it is also the responsibility of humanity to restore and protect the environment from such human-caused destruction and loss in order to improve environmental conditions and maintain ecological balance.
Therefore, if biodiversity, including the interdependence among living things and between living and non-living things, can coexist harmoniously while relying on one another for survival, it will be possible to create a world with a prosperous natural environment and sufficient food resources. To achieve this, all forms of biodiversity, especially humans as the most intellectually advanced beings, must not prioritize only their own survival but must also take into consideration the existence of other living and non-living things in order to help create a balanced world.