World Biodiversity Day

Eng. Rehan Ahmed*

The International Day for Biological Diversity or the World Biodiversity day was celebrated with great enthusiasm and fervor across the world on 22^nd May to raise public awareness on the annual theme. The day is celebrated as per the UN General Assembly adoption in December 2000.

This year’s theme was ‘Biodiversity for Sustainable Development’ and reflects the importance of efforts made at all levels to establish a set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as part of the United Nations Post-2015 Development Agenda for the period of 2015-2030 and the relevance of biodiversity for the achievement of sustainable development.

The selection of the theme also underlines the adoption of the Gangwon Declaration whereby UN Member countries are embarked on a promising new path to achieve poverty eradication, economic development, social priorities and a healthy environment, building on the work of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). One of the core elements of the “post-2015 development agenda” is a set of ambitious Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which provide for an integrated approach to achieving sustainable development.

The Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020, a UN-wide framework for action, with global goals and targets have set the process for national actions. It provides a useful model that may help inform the discussions on the architecture of the post- 2015 development agenda and SDGs, including with respect to an approach for establishing national-level commitments.

The Kingdom of Bahrain with many low-laying islands, islets, shoals and reef patches is uniquely situated off the central southern coast of the Arabian Gulf. The country has over 3000 sq. km of territorial waters with limited inland waters. The marine biotopes are diverse and include extensive sea grass beds and mudflats, patchy coral reefs as well as offshore islands. Sea grass beds are important foraging grounds for some threatened species such as dugongs and the green turtle.

There is one terrestrial and five declared marine protected areas in Bahrain. Hawar Islands have international importance and provide valuable feeding and breeding grounds for a variety of migratory seabirds. Tubli Bay is a RAMSAR site since 1997.

Population increase, development and rapid urbanization are major challenges and threat to the biodiversity in Bahrain. A considerable proportion of the coastline has been modified by coastal development involving both dredging and infilling operations. Other major anthropogenic stresses on local biodiversity include industrial and oil pollution, over- fishing and invasive alien species.

Bahrain has prepared the National Environment Strategy (NES) and public awareness programs on biodiversity are periodically being planned and implemented. The provisions of promoting the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity have been incorporated into the national educational curricula.

STATUS OF IN-SITU AND EX-SITU CONSERVATION

IN-SITU CONSERVATION

We need to understand that the world's biodiversity and natural capital is under severe threat from human activities. The consequences of biodiversity erosion are becoming catastrophic, with irreversible losses of heritage and ecosystem services. It is imperative that we as an individual, community and nation should preserve and protect biodiversity, use natural resources judiciously, learn about biodiversity and food management, buy and support things that help to protect biodiversity, choose healthy, local and sustainably produced foods and minimize waste.

Let us plant a local tree, keep our coasts and green areas clean, avoid using pesticides and take care of our ecosystem to safeguard our mother earth.

Head of Waste Disposal Unit, Supreme Council for Environment, Bahrain. (rahmed@sce.gov.bh)