In the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, it’s easy to overlook the invisible threads weaving together two critical aspects of our world: climate change and biodiversity. Picture this: the air you breathe, the food on your plate, and even the scenic beauty of your weekend hike – all influenced by this intricate dance between our changing climate and the diversity of life around us. Let’s start with the basics. By now, you’ve probably known the basics of climate change, right? If you don’t, the series in this blog post delve deep in different aspects of the issue. Climate change is not just about polar bears and melting ice caps; it’s about the air we breathe getting a bit warmer, the seasons playing tricks on us, and extreme weather events becoming more common. Now, here’s the twist – this climate rollercoaster has a profound impact on the incredible variety of plants, animals, and ecosystems that make up our planet’s biodiversity. Think of it like a domino effect. As our world warms up, habitats shift, leaving many species in a tight spot. Some can adapt, but others face a tough road ahead – one that often leads to extinction. Now, here’s where it gets interesting – the loss of these species weakens our natural world’s ability to cope with the challenges thrown at us by climate change. It’s a bit like taking out key players in a team; the game gets harder, and winning becomes a real struggle.

Biodiversity
As UN  describes, Biological diversity, or biodiversity, encompasses the wide range of life on Earth, spanning genes, bacteria, and entire ecosystems like forests and coral reefs. Shaped over 4.5 billion years of evolution, today’s biodiversity is significantly influenced by human activities. This biodiversity is crucial as it forms the foundation of life, providing essential resources such as food, water, medicine, and maintaining a stable climate. A significant portion of the global economy, over half of the GDP, relies on nature. Additionally, more than a billion people depend on forests for their livelihoods, while land and oceans play a crucial role in absorbing over half of carbon emissions. However, biodiversity is facing a great danger on Earth! The primary factor behind the decline in biodiversity is the human use of land, predominantly for food production. Human activities have transformed over 70 percent of all ice-free land, resulting in the loss of habitat for numerous animal and plant species, pushing them towards extinction. In addition to land use, climate change is emerging as a significant contributor to biodiversity loss. It has caused notable alterations in marine, terrestrial, and freshwater ecosystems worldwide, leading to local species loss, heightened diseases, and unprecedented plant and animal mortality – marking the onset of climate induced extinctions. On terrestrial landscapes, rising temperatures have compelled animals and plants to migrate towards higher elevations or latitudes, often gravitating towards the Earth’s poles. This shift has far-reaching consequences for ecosystems. With each degree of warming, the risk of species extinction amplifies, emphasizing the urgent need for comprehensive conservation efforts.

Climate Change and Biodiversity
The relationship between biodiversity and climate change is bidirectional. Biodiversity actively contributes to and strengthens both climate mitigation and adaptation, playing a vital role in ecological balance. On the flip side, climate change poses a threat, causing the degradation and loss of both terrestrial and marine biodiversity. As NHM explains, biodiversity encompasses the vast array of life forms on Earth and their varied habitats, spanning from oceans to deserts. It encompasses not only the multitude of species but also the genetic diversity within each species, as well as the intricate interactions among species and their environments, forming ecosystems. With global temperatures expected to rise by more than 1.5°C in the next two decades due to climate change, many species face a sudden and severe shock, compelling them to either adapt or face extinction. Biodiversity offers crucial “environmental services,” representing positive effects that enhance ecosystems, playing a vital role in regulating the Earth’s climate. One fundamental service is the regulation of atmospheric CO2 levels. Far from passively compensating for human-generated emissions, biodiversity actively absorbs nearly half of the CO2 released by human activities. This, in turn, helps mitigate global warming, with key allies in this process being species like whales, forest elephants, and sea otters, as highlighted by the WFF (Decathlon, 2021). Furthermore, biodiversity provides a natural defense mechanism against the impacts of climate change. Examples include wetlands, which effectively regulate and mitigate flooding; trees creating life-preserving microclimates during heatwaves; and coral reefs acting as protective barriers against waves and storms along coastlines. In essence, the diverse array of species contributes to a resilient and balanced environment that safeguards against the consequences of a changing climate. On the other hand, when human activities release greenhouse gases, approximately half of the emissions linger in the atmosphere, while the remaining half is absorbed by land and ocean ecosystems. These natural carbon sinks, rich in biodiversity, provide valuable nature-based solutions to combat climate change. Ocean habitats, including seagrasses and mangroves, exhibit a remarkable ability to sequester carbon dioxide, with rates up to four times higher than terrestrial forests. The preservation of these habitats, especially mangroves, proves invaluable in the global effort against climate change. The conservation and restoration of natural spaces, both on land and in water, are imperative for reducing carbon emissions and adapting to the changing climate. Enhancing nature’s capacity to absorb emissions could contribute to about one-third of the necessary greenhouse gas emissions reductions in the next decade.

The Importance of Indigenous Knowledge
Addressing these challenges requires a global responsibility, recognizing the vital role of ecosystem services and Nature-Based solutions that rely on robust biodiversity. These solutions not only contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation but also serve as powerful catalysts for transformative change. As UNESCO describes indigenous peoples, who inhabit high-risk environments vulnerable to climate change impacts, are at the forefront of these challenges. With their deep knowledge of the territories that sustain their livelihoods, indigenous peoples play a crucial role in facing these challenges. Their traditional knowledge, operating at a
more detailed spatial and temporal scale than conventional scientific approaches, encompasses
insights into coping with and adapting to environmental changes.

What can we do?
But how is this linked to our everyday lives? Well, consider this: the coffee you savor in the morning, the fresh fruits and veggies you pick up at the local market, and even the medicine you might need – all are influenced by a healthy, biodiverse world. Biodiversity isn’t just about saving cute animals; it’s about securing our food, our health, and our well-being. So, what can we do? It’s not only about becoming overnight eco-warriors; it’s about making small changes in our daily routines. Maybe it’s choosing products with a smaller environmental footprint, supporting local conservation efforts, or even planting a tree in your neighborhood. It’s the collective power of our individual actions that can make a real difference. Also remember that many people aren’t aware of the importance of biodiversity and it’s link with climate change. We are responsible in educating our friends and families and the important role of them being mindful about their everyday life decisions. On the other hand, us as civilians of earth have a responsibility to hold those in power accountable. Safeguarding biodiversity requires a collective and vigilant effort, urging governments, global institutions, and policymakers to be accountable stewards of our planet’s rich tapestry of life. In this shared responsibility, citizens, non- governmental organizations, and international communities must actively participate in holding decision-makers accountable.. The call for accountability is not just a demand; it is a collective commitment to preserving the intricate balance of our planet’s ecosystems for current and future generations. Joining our campaign for a global wave of climate action during COP28 is an urgent and impactful call to ensure accountability from decision-makers. As the world gathers to address the pressing issues of climate change and biodiversity loss, it is crucial to amplify our collective voice, demanding concrete and decisive actions from policymakers. By participating in this movement, you contribute to a powerful force that holds decision-makers accountable for their commitments and decisions on the global stage. Together, we create a formidable movement that inspires change and fosters a sense of responsibility among decision-makers to prioritize the protection of our environment. The global wave of climate action is a rallying call for individuals, communities, and organizations to unite in the pursuit of a sustainable and resilient future.