UN chief urges ‘more caring’ relationship with nature on World Wildlife Day

UNITED NATIONS, Mar 03 (APP):United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that by overexploiting wildlife, habitats and ecosystems, humanity is endangering both itself and the survival of countless species of wild plants and animals.

“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,” the UN chief said in a message for World Wildlife Day marked on Tuesday, in which he underscored the need for “a more caring, thoughtful and sustainable relationship with nature”.

“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”, the secretary-general said.

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”, Guterres said.

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, 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”, the Secretary-General said in conclusion.

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.

Meanwhile, Inger Andersen, Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) saw the day as an opportunity to raise “urgent awareness about the plight of nature, the plight of wildlife, and what this means for human wellbeing and the planet”.

“Science tells us that nearly one million out of the nearly eight million species on our planet face the threat of extinction”, she said. “We are losing species at an average of 1,000 times the natural extinction rate. This is a catastrophe we simply cannot afford”.