Biodiversity Day: Local Actions are Great, but Funding is Key for Global Impact

Biodiversity Day: Local Actions are Great, but Funding is Key for Global Impact

RITURAJ PHUKAN

The International Day for Biological Diversity is being observed today under the theme of “Acting locally for global impact.” The theme provides an opportunity to celebrate local actions that are making a difference, but are we really doing enough?

The health of the environment and the health of all species are interconnected and interdependent. Over the last decade, the multiplicity and complexity of linkages between biodiversity and human health have been increasingly recognized.Biodiversity supports human and societal needsincluding food and nutrition, fresh water, development of medicines,providing economic opportunities and leisure activities that contribute to overall wellbeing.

The Current Scenario

Despite all the local and global efforts, it is a fact that biodiversity is deteriorating worldwide at rates unprecedented in human history, hampering efforts to meet a range of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including those related to poverty, hunger and health, as well as efforts to meet the goals and targets of the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF).

A flurry of recent reports have once again reiterated that reinvigorating the natural systems is central to stopping and reversing the impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss. At the same time, the window for remediation is shrinking rapidly, with one study warning of total ecosystem collapse and the start of the sixth mass extinction on Earth.

The rapid destruction of natural habitats due to human development activities and greed is undermining the global ecosystems that provide us with clean air, water, and food. Researchers studying the “Great Dying” Permian-Triassic mass extinction, which wiped out 95% of all life on the planet, found that species are currently going extinct faster than in any of the previous five mass extinction periods. Another study found that globally forests and other natural habitats are losing their ability to absorb carbon due to anthropogenic pressures.

The Living Planet Report 2024- Systems in Peril published by the WWF revealed a catastrophic loss of wildlife populations by 73% on average between 1970 and 2020.Globally, freshwater populations of wildlife have suffered a 85% decline, followed by terrestrial and marine populations with 69% and 56% declines respectively. The report warned we have five years to place the world on a sustainable trajectory before negative feedbacks of nature degradation and climate change place us on the downhill slope of runaway tipping points.

How are we responsible?

Agroundbreaking global study confirmed that human activities are the primary drivers of biodiversity loss across the planet.The research examined how human-induced pressuressuch as habitat destruction, pollution, climate change, resource exploitation, and invasive speciesare reshaping biodiversity. These pressures have led to significant shifts in community composition (the mix of species within an ecosystem) and a decrease in local species diversity. On average, species richness at human-impacted sites was found to be nearly 20% lower than at unaffected locations.

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Among the five major pressures examined, habitat change and pollution stood out as particularly detrimental. Intensive farming practices, especially arable agriculture, involve heavy pesticide and fertilizer use, which not only reduces biodiversity but also alters species composition. Climate change is another significant factor, though its full impact on species distribution and survival is still not entirely understood.

The WWF report also stated that supporting the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities may be one of the most effective ways to conserve biodiversity at scale. A quarter of the global land area is traditionally owned, managed, used and/or occupied by Indigenous Peoples, which includes about 35% of the area in formally protected areas and 35% of the remaining intact terrestrial areas.

The Indigenous Factor

The First meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Article 8(j) and Other Provisions of the CBD Related to Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) (SB8j) washeld in Panama Citywhere the participants engaged in substantive discussionsregarding strategies for mobilizing financial resources and other means of implementation to facilitate effective contribution by indigenous people and local communities to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF).

The new Subsidiary Body is an important development for ensuring that the traditional knowledge ofindigenous people are part of global efforts to restore and conserve biodiversity and the bioculturalheritage of communities in different parts of the world. It holds immense significance for the diverseindigenous people and local communities of the biodiversity-rich northeast India.

Indigenous People are the guardians of biological diversity and many of the world’s major biodiversity hotspots are located in areas inhabited or controlled by indigenous communities. Traditional Indigenous Territories cover around 22 percent of the Earth’s land surface and hold 80 percent of its biodiversity. Moreover, the greatest diversity of indigenous groups can be found in the largest tropical forest wilderness areas across the Americas, Africa, and Asia. Indigenous Peoples and communities legally own 11 percent of the world’s forest lands, presenting an opportunity to expand biodiversity conservation efforts beyond protected areas.

CLIMATE CHANGE IS EVERYWHERE

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Indigenous peoples possess valuable solutions to the climate crisis, given their ancestral knowledge and wisdom, and have a key role in climate change mitigation and adaptation around the world. Preserving vast forested areas not only aligns with climate change objectives but also respects the rights of Indigenous Peoples and conserves biodiversity.

The World Summit of Indigenous Peoples and Nature, held in October 2025 brought to the forefront the essential role of Indigenous Peoples in global conservation. Under the banner of “Our Traditional Knowledge is the Language of Mother Earth”, the summit affirmed that Indigenous communities are not onl

y guardians of ancestral territories but also key actors in shaping sustainable futures.

One important outcome of the event was the articulation of a clear agenda for Indigenous leadership in conservation. The summit spotlighted the enormous contribution that Indigenous Peoples already make to biodiversity protection and stressed that national plans and international frameworks must reflect Indigenous priorities.

Another major achievement was the creation of the ‘Global  Indigenous Agenda  for the  Governance of Indigenous  Lands,  Territories,  Waters,  Coastal Seas  and Natural  Resources’. Indigenous representatives committed to a set of principles that center rights, knowledge, and stewardship of lands, waters and natural resources. The Agenda legitimizes Indigenous governance models and aims to elevate community‑led approaches to conservation within the broader global agenda.

The summit also emphasized access to finance as a non‑negotiable part of Indigenous participation. Through dialogues focused on direct funding, reshaping financial systems, and enabling Indigenous communities to lead and design their conservation initiatives, the summit set a course toward transformative resource flows. Finance has long been a contentious issue in biodiversity negotiations. A decade ago, funding shortfalls were a key reason why the Aichi targets to halt biodiversity loss were largely unmet.

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One of the major accomplishments at COP16 was the establishment of the Cali Fund, which ensures fair benefit-sharing from digital information on genetic resources. Industries leveraging genetic data for products such as pharmaceuticals and biotechnology will now be required to contribute a portion of their profits toward biodiversity conservation. At least 50% of the Cali Fund’s resources will be allocated to Indigenous communities, recognizing their essential role in protecting biodiversity.

The Future of Global Biodiversity Funding

Currently, biodiversity funding flows through the Global Biodiversity Framework Fund (GBFF), managed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) under an interim arrangement that expires in 2030. The 16th Conference of Parties (COP16) under the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Cali, Colombia, was suspended over the establishment of a wider new biodiversity fund for developing countries,

The COP16 talks reconvened in Rome, for financial negotiations considered essential for the effective implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). The deliberations resulted in an agreement to establish two financial workstreams until 2030: one focusing on a financial mechanism for biodiversity and another aimed at improving financial mobilization from various sources.

At the conclusion of COP16, nations reaffirmed their commitment to mobilizing $200 billion annually for biodiversity by 2030, including a target of $20 billion per year by 2025, increasing to $30 billion per year by 2030 from international sources. The agreement also establishes long-term financial mechanisms under the CBD, aiming to enhance current funding streams while exploring innovative approaches such as private sector investments and blended finance models.

Under the newly adopted roadmap countries have agreed to establish a permanent fund but have yet to determine whether it will remain under the GEF or become an independent entity. This decision is expected by 2028, with further operational discussions scheduled for the CBD COP19 in 2030 if a new fund is created. Another key point of debate was broadening the contributor base to include emerging economies alongside traditional donor nations. which also fueled disagreements at the UN climate summits, will be further discussed at CBD COP17 this year.

Experts estimate a $700 billion annual shortfall in biodiversity funding. To bridge this gap, countries previously agreed in 2022 to redirect $500 billion currently allocated to environmentally harmful subsidies and generate $200 billion from all available sources, including government budgets, the private sector, and multilateral development banks. The 2030 finance roadmap provides a structured path forward, but achieving the ambitious biodiversity targets will require sustained financial commitments and strategic action at all levels.

The Convergence

The importance of the One Health approach and other holistic approaches was first recognized in the 5th edition of the Global Biodiversity Outlook (GBO-5), which refers to a “biodiversity-inclusive One Health transition.” The GBF has “Biodiversity and Health” as one of the considerations for its implementation, acknowledging the interlinkages between biodiversity and health and the three objectives of the Convention, and highlighting that the Framework is to be implemented with consideration of the One Health approach, among other holistic approaches.

The convergence of planetary crises including biodiversity loss, food and water insecurity, health challenges, and climate change cannot be seen as isolated issues. They are deeply interconnected, cascading into one another in ways that make piecemeal solutions ineffective.

Recognizing that approaching these problems in silos is not working, the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) launched the Nexus Report in 2024, presenting a groundbreaking assessment that offers a roadmap for tackling these challenges in a holistic and integrated way. It provides a detailed roadmap for achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs), biodiversity targets, and climate objectives. It highlights future scenarios where integrated actions deliver co-benefits across all nexus elements, contrasting sharply with the dire outcomes of a “business-as-usual” approach.

This landmark report, officially titled The Assessment Report on the Interlinkages Among Biodiversity, Water, Food, and Health, is the most ambitious scientific examination yet of how these elements interact. Developed over three years by 165 experts from 57 countries, the report explores over 70 actionable strategies to achieve synergies across what it calls the “nexus elements”: biodiversity, water, food, health, and climate change.

Another study, ‘Trophic rewilding can expand natural climate solutions,’ points out that while natural climate solutions can arrest climate change by protecting and enhancing carbon capture and storage in plants, soils, and sediments in ecosystems, while also protecting habitats and landscapes to conserve the diversity of wildlife species, we must now pay attention to the role animals play in controlling the carbon cycle.

The report presented scientific evidence to show that protecting and restoring wild animals and their functional roles can enhance natural carbon capture and storage. The researchers called for a new thinking that includes the restoration and conservation of wild animals and their ecosystem roles as a key component of natural climate solutions.

The seventh session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA7) in Nairobi last year also addressed the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. The world’s highest decision-making body for environmental matters, with the participation of all 193 member states, was organized under the theme ‘Advancing sustainable solutions for a resilient planet,’to develop strategies prioritizing actions addressing the interconnected crises.

The Roadmap for the Future

Almost two-thirds of the 196 Parties to the CBD, including India, have submitted their 7th National Reports in time for their integration in the first review of collective progress towards the implementation of the GBF which will take place during COP 17 in Yerevan.The first global biodiversity assessment is where countries will evaluate their progress toward 2030 targets. The reporting framework will integrate input from diverse groups, including youth, women, Indigenous communities, and private businesses, ensuring inclusive conservation efforts.

The escalating threats to human health and wellbeing and collapse of the planetary systems cannot be ignored. The air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat are being undermined due to centuries of extractive exploitation, but there is hope in the form of new approaches that combine efforts to reverse biodiversity loss with climate action, indigenous knowledge, and sustainable development.

The decisions made at CBD COP16 mark good progress toward securing long-term biodiversity financing. However, the debate over creating an independent fund and expanding contributor responsibilities remains unresolved. As global biodiversity challenges continue to mount, governments must take decisive action to ensure that funding commitments translate into tangible conservation outcomes.

The world is now looking ahead to the CBD COP17 and other negotiations under the UN processes to ensure that the financialshortfalls preventing the effective implementation of the GBF, the Paris Agreement and the SDGs are addresses and developed countries fulfill their long outstanding commitments. The availability of funding is critical to truly support local actions for preservation and restoration of biological diversity, incorporating indigenous knowledge systems, and ensure deliverance of climate and ecological justice.

RITURAJ PHUKAN : Founder, Indigenous People’s Climate Justice Forum; Co-Founder, Smily Academy ;National Coordinator for Biodiversity, The Climate Reality Project India; Member, IUCN Wilderness Specialist Group; Commission Member – IUCN WCPA Climate Change, IUCN WCPA Connectivity Conservation, IUCN WCPA Indigenous People and Protected Areas Specialist Groups, IUCN WCPA South Asia Region and IUCN WCPA-SSC Invasive Alien Species Task Force; Member, International Antarctic Expedition 2013; Climate Force Arctic 2019 ; Ambassador, Marine Arctic Peace Sanctuary. Rituraj Phukan is the Climate Editor, Mahabahu and the  Convenor, Mahabahu Climate Forum.

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