Kathmandu - The world is facing an unprecedented nature crisis, and its consequences are no longer confined to forests, oceans, or wildlife alone. According to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the degradation of ecosystems is already affecting the lives and livelihoods of nearly 40 per cent of the global population, while around one million species stand on the brink of extinction.
Nature forms the backbone of human survival-providing food, clean water, medicines, climate regulation, and protection from disasters. Yet accelerating deforestation, pollution, overexploitation of resources, and climate change are pushing ecosystems beyond their limits, weakening the planet’s ability to sustain life.
A Crisis That Directly Impacts People
The loss of biodiversity is increasingly translating into human suffering. Declining pollinators threaten food production, degraded forests reduce water security, and damaged coastal ecosystems expose communities to floods and storms. For millions of people-particularly in developing countries-this environmental breakdown is intensifying poverty, health risks, and economic instability.
UNEP warns that continued ecosystem degradation could cause severe economic losses globally, with vulnerable communities bearing the heaviest burden despite contributing least to environmental damage.
Global Commitment to Reverse Nature Loss
Recognizing the urgency, the international community has adopted the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, a landmark agreement endorsed by 196 countries. The framework sets ambitious targets to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030, including protecting 30 per cent of the planet’s land and oceans, restoring degraded ecosystems, and redirecting harmful subsidies that fuel environmental destruction.
UNEP is also coordinating global efforts through its Common Approach to Biodiversity, helping countries integrate nature protection into development planning, finance, and governance systems.
Hope Through Action
Despite the grim outlook, solutions exist. Community-led conservation, ecosystem restoration projects, and sustainable land and ocean management are already delivering results in many regions. Global initiatives such as the Kunming Biodiversity Fund are channeling resources to countries most in need, proving that nature recovery is possible when political will, finance, and local knowledge come together.
A Defining Moment for Humanity
Experts caution that the coming decade will be decisive. The biodiversity crisis and climate crisis are deeply interconnected, and failure to act now could lock the planet into irreversible damage. Protecting nature is no longer an environmental choice-it is a development, economic, and survival imperative.
As UNEP underscores, safeguarding biodiversity today is essential to securing a stable, resilient, and livable future for humanity.
