biodiversity day essay

Essay on Biodiversity for Students and Children

500+ words essay on biodiversity.

Essay on Biodiversity – Biodiversity is the presence of different species of plants and animals on the earth. Moreover, it is also called biological diversity as it is related to the variety of species of flora and fauna. Biodiversity plays a major role in maintaining the balance of the earth.

Furthermore, everything depends upon the biological diversity of different plants and animals. But due to some reasons, biodiversity is decreasing day by day. If it does not stop then our earth could no longer be a place to live in. Therefore different measures help in increasing the biodiversity of the earth.

Methods to Increase Biodiversity

Building wildlife corridors- This means to build connections between wildlife spaces. In other words, many animals are incapable to cross huge barriers. Therefore they are no able to migrate the barrier and breed. So different engineering techniques can make wildlife corridors. Also, help animals to move from one place to the other.

Set up gardens- Setting up gardens in the houses is the easiest way to increase biodiversity. You can grow different types of plants and animals in the yard or even in the balcony. Further, this would help in increasing the amount of fresh air in the house.

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Protected areas- protected areas like wildlife sanctuaries and zoo conserve biodiversity. For instance, they maintain the natural habitat of plants and animals. Furthermore, these places are away from any human civilization. Therefore the ecosystem is well maintained which makes it a perfect breeding ground for flora and fauna. In our country, their various wildlife sanctuaries are build that is today spread over a vast area. Moreover, these areas are the only reason some of the animal species are not getting extinct. Therefore the protected areas should increase all over the globe.

Re-wilding – Re-wilding is necessary to avert the damage that has been taking place over centuries. Furthermore, the meaning of re-wilding is introducing the endangered species in the areas where it is extinct. Over the past years, by various human activities like hunting and cutting down of trees the biodiversity is in danger. So we must take the necessary steps to conserve our wildlife and different species of plants.

Importance of Biodiversity

Biodiversity is extremely important to maintain the ecological system. Most Noteworthy many species of plants and animals are dependent on each other.

Therefore if one of them gets extinct, the others will start getting endangered too. Moreover, it is important for humans too because our survival depends on plants and animals. For instance, the human needs food to survive which we get from plants. If the earth does not give us a favorable environment then we cannot grow any crops. As a result, it will no longer be possible for us to sustain on this planet.

Biodiversity in flora and fauna is the need of the hour. Therefore we should take various countermeasures to stop the reduction of endangering of species. Furthermore, pollution from vehicles should decrease. So that animals can get fresh air to breathe. Moreover, it will also decrease global warming which is the major cause of the extinction of the species.

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Biodiversity Day: Protecting humanity’s ‘life-support system’

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The theme of the International Day for Biological Diversity , observed on Monday, centres on moving from talk to action: build back biodiversity.

“On the International Day for Biological Diversity, we reflect on our relationship with humanity’s life-support system, from the air we breathe and the food we eat, to the energy that fuels us and the medicines that heal us, our lives are wholly dependent on healthy ecosystems,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said.

“Yet, our actions are devastating every corner of the planet: 1 million species are at risk of extinction, the result of habitat degradation, skyrocketing pollution, and the worsening climate crisis.”

While there is a growing recognition that biological diversity is a global asset of tremendous value to future generations, the number of species is being significantly reduced by certain human activities from illegal logging to poaching wildlife.

Loss ‘threatens all’

Biological diversity is often understood in terms of the wide variety of plants, animals, and microorganisms, but it also includes genetic differences within each species.

In a delicate balance , biodiversity reflects differences between varieties of crops and breeds of livestock as well as the variety of such ecosystems as lakes, forests, deserts, and agricultural landscapes, that host myriad interactions among their human, plant, and animal guests.

But, the loss of biodiversity threatens all , including health. It has been proven that biodiversity loss could expand zoonoses – diseases transmitted from animals to humans. Keeping biodiversity intact offers excellent tools to fight against pandemics like those caused by coronavirus es.

Promises made must be kept

A total of 196 nations have ratified the Convention on Biological Diversity , which is the international legal instrument for “the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources”.

Marking an important step forward , the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework , adopted in 2022, saw all parties committing to setting national targets to implement it. At the forthcoming Conference of the Parties in 2024 in Türkiye, the world will take stock of the targets and commitments that have been set.

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and partners launched an online platform for non-governmental groups’ commitments from around the world, from a rain forest protection project in Côte d’Ivoire to a marine conservation effort in Cambodia. To date, 212 commitments have been pledged.

Turning agreements into action

"Our actions are devastating every corner of the planet: 1 million species are at risk of extinction, the result of habitat degradation, skyrocketing pollution, and the worsening climate crisis.” - UN Secretary-General António Guterres

“Now is the time to move from agreement to action,” Mr. Guterres said.

That translates into ensuring sustainable production and consumption patterns and redirecting subsidies from nature-destroying activities towards green solutions .

It also means recognizing the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities, the strongest guardians of the world’s biodiversity, and pushing governments and businesses to take stronger and faster action against biodiversity loss and the climate crisis, the UN chief said.

“Let us work together across governments, civil society, and the private sector to secure a sustainable future for all,” he said.

Learn more about what the UN is doing to help the environment here .

Did you know?

🌳 Current negative trends in biodiversity and ecosystems will undermine progress towards 80 per cent of the assessed targets of eight Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

🌳 Three quarters of the land-based environment and about 66 per cent of the marine environment have been significantly altered by human actions.

🌳 1 million animal and plant species are now threatened with extinction.

🌳 Poaching and illegal trade contribute directly to the extinction of many species.

🌳 Illegal logging is estimated to account for between 10 and 30 per cent of the global timber trade.

🌳 Fish provide 20 per cent of animal protein to about 3 billion people.

🌳 More than 80 per cent of the human diet is provided by plants.

🌳 Nearly 80 per cent of people living in rural areas in developing countries rely on traditional plant‐based medicines for basic healthcare.

• biodiversity

Biodiversity Explained: Facts, Myths, and the Race to Protect It

By MJ Altman on January 4, 2023

A baby sloth hangs in a tree at the Bosque da Ciência in Manaus, Brazil. PHOTO: Michael Dantas/United Nations Foundation

As ecosystems and habitats degrade and disappear worldwide, biodiversity — the interconnectedness of all forms of life on our planet — is in jeopardy. In light of a new global agreement to protect our lands, ocean, and waters, explore what biodiversity really means and what it will take to preserve life on Earth.

From microscopic fungi to mega forests, “biodiversity” is the collective term for the variety of life on Earth in all its forms. It is 4.5 billion years of evolution, embodied.

Biodiversity is responsible for our food, our soil, our water, our weather, even the air we breathe. Yet despite being a crucial foundation for our collective future, biodiversity is often lost amid conversations on climate change — until recently.

In December 2022, leaders from nearly 200 nations adopted a landmark UN agreement to reverse nature’s rapid decline before it’s too late. Known as the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework , it calls for protecting 30% of the planet’s land, ocean, and inland waters and includes 23 other targets to help restore and protect ecosystems and endangered species worldwide.

Here are 12 things you should know:

1. Biodiversity is more than just the total number of species on Earth.

“It is actually more complex than that,” Dr. Thomas Lovejoy, the late ecologist, told the United Nations Foundation in 2018. “It’s about the genetic diversity within species, the diversity of habitats, and the large biological units known as biomes.”

This includes the interactions that occur between species within ecosystems – primordial relationships that shape our environment in countless, often unseen ways.

“Without biological diversity, there is no other life on Earth — including our own,” he explained. “Even though we are often oblivious to it, this diversity of life is what provides clean water, oxygen, and all other things that end up being part of our diet, as well as clothing and shelter. It provides a lot of psychological benefits too, which are not much appreciated.”

2. We’re only just beginning to understand biodiversity’s influence and importance in our lives.

Earth’s many ecosystems rely on a delicate, complicated, and fascinating tangle of life that, in many ways, remains a mystery. In fact, the term “biological diversity” wasn’t introduced to the scientific community until 1980 in a research paper on species loss by Dr. Lovejoy. Scientists still haven’t identified all forms of life on the planet. New species are discovered every year.

A harbor seal swims through kelp off the coast of Southern California's Channel Islands. Seals are among the thousands of species that rely on kelp forests for food and shelter. PHOTO: Shutterstock/Joe Belanger

Take kelp, for example. These undersea forests provide sustenance and shelter for marine species like chinook salmon, which, in turn, serve as a staple food for orcas. And kelp also absorb excess carbon dioxide, which can help mitigate climate change.

3. The planet’s biodiversity holds enormous, untapped potential for medical and scientific breakthroughs.

Lovejoy described each species on the planet as a unique set of solutions for a particular set of biological problems. “Whoever would have thought a bacterium from a Yellowstone hot spring would revolutionize forensic and diagnostic medicine, make the human genome project possible, and confer benefits in the trillion-dollar range?” he wrote as a Senior Fellow at the United Nations Foundation, citing a previously unknown and seemingly inconsequential microbe discovered in 1966 that revolutionized genetic testing and immunization development, including the COVID-19 vaccine.

A flowering plant grows from a tree in the Amazon Rainforest, near the research station known as Camp 41 north of Manaus, Brazil. PHOTO: Michael Dantas/United Nations Foundation

Today, one-fourth of all modern medicines are derived from tropical plants, and 70% of all cancer drugs are natural or bio-inspired products. In the past decade, researchers in Nova Scotia found a soil fungus that can disarm antibiotic-resistant bacteria — a discovery that could transform the fields of medicine and agriculture. The possibilities for discovery and innovation are monumental.

4. Climate change and biodiversity are interconnected.

Climate change is causing biodiversity loss, and biodiversity loss is causing climate change. Here’s how: Destroying and degrading ecosystems releases more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than burning fossil fuels.

Meanwhile, the consequences of burning fossil fuels — rising global temperatures, an increase in wildfires, and ocean acidification, to name a few — are threatening habitats and wildlife alike. In late 2019 and early 2020, for example, more than 60,000 koalas were killed by wildfires in Australia so massive that nearly 3 billion animals died or were displaced as a result. Earlier this year, the Australian government officially listed koalas as an endangered species.

At COP 27 last year, world leaders reached a historic agreement to create a “loss and damage” fund to support communities that are already feeling climate change’s disastrous impact, including biodiversity loss and its impact on livelihoods.

More than 60,000 koalas were killed by wildfires in Australia in late 2019 and early 2020. Increased wildfires and subsequent habitat loss are just one of the consequences of climate change. PHOTO: Patrick Kavanagh

5. Biodiversity can help us adapt to climate change.

The UN considers biodiversity our strongest natural defense against climate change. Land and ocean ecosystems currently absorb 60% of human-caused emissions , and they are the planet’s only way of storing massive amounts of carbon dioxide. Coastal wetlands, for example, protect against storm surges and flooding during extreme weather while also storing carbon dioxide and creating oxygen.

According to a joint estimate by the UN Development Programme and the Government of Papua New Guinea, every dollar invested in environmental protection generates more than $2,500 in so-called ecosystem services — water regulation, coastal protection, carbon storage, and other invisible functions that nature provides. It’s one of the reasons that Papua New Guinea launched the first-ever national, independent Biodiversity and Climate Fund to protect its status as one of just 17 “megadiverse” countries.

6. Less biodiversity means a higher risk of disease.

For decades, the scientific community has warned that biodiversity loss increases the spread of infectious disease . Why? Because extinction upsets the ecosystem in unpredictable ways, and the destruction of natural habitats increases interaction between humans and wildlife. Biodiversity essentially acts as a barrier between humans and animal-borne disease.

Species that tend to survive logging, farming, mining, wildlife trade and consumption, and other human activities behind widespread biodiversity loss are often “vectors of disease” like mice and mosquitoes, which host pathogens that are able to make the jump to humans. It’s one of the reasons why cases of Lyme disease in the northeast United States have spiked in recent decades: With fewer mammals to prey on, ticks are increasingly seeking out people. In fact, roughly 75% of emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic .

It’s also why researchers like Dr. Alessandra Nava and her team of virus hunters at Brazil’s Fiocruz Amazônia are tracking the spread of disease in bats, monkeys, and rodents in the world’s largest rainforest. Their goal is to stay a step ahead of future pandemics by better understanding the pathogens contained within the jungle’s creatures before they come in contact with humans — encounters that become more likely as the human footprint expands.

A golden-backed squirrel monkey at the Bosque da Ciência, a rainforest park in Manaus, Brazil. PHOTO: Michael Dantas/United Nations Foundation

7. Biodiversity on land depends on biodiversity in water.

Maintaining the ocean’s ecological balance is crucial for protecting biodiversity on land, as well as maintaining our ability to feed future generations. The ocean plays a vital role in regulating the planet’s weather and water and the air we breathe. It is also the planet’s largest source of protein , feeding more than 3 billion people every day who rely on fish as a staple food.

Yet the ocean remains a vastly unexplored ecological frontier. While scientists have identified 200,000 marine species , the actual number is estimated to be in the millions. Unsustainable fishing practices, pollution, climate change, and habitat destruction are threatening creatures that may vanish before we even knew they existed.

8. Our planet’s biodiversity is on the brink.

Some 1 million species are threatened with extinction right now. That’s more than any other time in history, and they’re disappearing at a rate that is 1,000 times the norm. The culprit is the way most humans consume, produce, travel, and live.

A 2019 UN report found that we have altered 75% of the planet’s terrestrial environment, 40% of its marine environment, and 50% of streams and rivers. Nearly three-fourths of our freshwater resources are devoted to crop or livestock production, which often means using pesticides, fertilizers, fuels, and antibiotics that pollute our rivers, streams, seas, and soil. Every day we are destroying habitats and degrading massive amounts of soil and water through industrial manufacturing and agriculture while jeopardizing precious natural resources that could be lost forever in our lifetime; in the past two decades, we’ve lost half of the planet’s coral reefs . Deforestation in the Amazon rainforest hit a record high last year; some 18% is gone already, with scientists warning that we’re approaching a tipping point toward potential collapse .

9. Sustainability is the only way forward.

Such irresponsible production and consumption of our natural resources come at a catastrophic cost. We are destroying our planet at an unprecedented rate and losing a vast number of plants, animals, insects, and marine life in the process — to the detriment of our own future. Humanity’s health and well-being are dependent on a biodiverse planet.

Fortunately, examples are emerging of a greener, more sustainable way of doing business. Circular economic models are becoming more common as companies realize the economic and environmental value of reducing, reusing, and recycling their supply chain. At the same time, more citizens are demanding sustainable sourcing and socially just labor practices from their consumer goods. In 2022, the founder of the outdoor retailer Patagonia announced plans to invest all of the company’s profits toward combating climate change . “If we have any hope of a thriving planet — much less a business — 50 years from now, it is going to take all of us doing what we can with the resources we have,” Yvon Chouinard wrote .

Along Brazil’s Rio Negro, fourth-generation logger Roberto Brito de Mendonça stands in the dining lodge of his community’s ecotourism lodge. He retired from the family business to help start the operation, which includes a newly built classroom named in honor of Dr. Lovejoy. PHOTO: Michael Dantas/United Nations Foundation

10. Indigenous communities are crucial.

For thousands of years, Indigenous communities have served as the planet’s most effective environmental stewards. Today, according to the UN, Indigenous people manage more than 20% of the planet’s land and 80% of its biodiversity. “For us, it is not a passion, or a job,” Hindou Ibrahim of the Mbororo tribe in Chad, an SDG (Sustainable Development Goal) Advocate and Indigenous rights activist, told the UN last year. “It is our way of living. And that’s what we have done for all generations.”

In 2015, the UN created the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform to ensure their formal participation in global negotiations on climate change.

11. Conservation is critical.

One of our most promising solutions is preservation. Restoring degraded ecosystems alone could provide up to one-third of the climate mitigation needed to keep the Earth from warming too far above pre-industrial levels. This means creating protected areas, curbing extractive capitalism, and restoring the planet’s enormous amount of degraded land.

People across the globe are leading efforts to do just that. One inspiring example is Rita Mesquita, who expanded the amount of protected rainforest in Brazil by 76% during her time in the country’s Ministry of the Environment. Today, she oversees programs that encourage residents and visitors alike in Manaus to interact with the surrounding Amazon rainforest.

A Rhinoceros Beetle in Costa Rica’s National Park Tortuguero. The rhino beetle is one of the strongest insects in the world with relation to its body size, but because its tropical lowland habitat has been deforested and overcut, it is struggling to survive. PHOTO: GRID-Arendal/Peter Prokosch

12. We need cooperation — and revolution — at all levels.

We need partnerships among countries, communities, consumers, and corporations. And we’re seeing signs of progress every day. In fact, at COP 27, the Governments of Brazil, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Indonesia announced an alliance to protect their respective rainforests. Their historic agreement could pave the way for more multilateral action and impact. Coming just a month later, the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework represents an enormous and long-awaited step toward halting extinction rates that some scientists are calling an existential crisis akin to climate change.

A huge part of the solution to the biodiversity challenge will be transforming how we approach the natural world and our place within it. As Dr. Lovejoy told the UN Foundation in 2018 , “There needs to be a major shift in perception from thinking of nature as something with a fence around it in the middle of an expansive, human-dominated landscape … to thinking about embedding our aspirations in nature.”

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World Biodiversity Day in the era of COVID-19

Interspecies social distancing — we need to give nature some space to save biodiversity

By Guy Broucke

To read the published version in The Print click here .

Today, on 22 May 2020, the year of COVID-19, we once more celebrate the International day of Biodiversity.

More acutely than ever, the current crisis makes us aware of the fragility of life on earth.

‘Biodiversity’ is our modern expression for this “life” in all its forms, but throughout the history of humankind, celebrating it has been an integral part of all cultures.

In past eras, the concept was local, we celebrated our own animals, plants, forests; and beyond our horizon the planet’s biodiversity seemed limitless. Today, we have reached these limits. 

There are no new continents to move to when we have depleted our own, and we are discovering that in nature also, degrading parts of a system ultimately destroys the whole system.

This year, a lot of visibility has been given to the risk of zoonotic diseases. We live closer and closer to places that used to be ‘remote’, so the risk of disease transmission increases. But scientists are also ever more aware that biodiversity is our ‘toolbox’ to find cures or vaccines. 

So it is a sobering thought that the 2019 global IPBES (Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystems) Report on Biodiversity warned that 1 million species are threatened with extinction. 

What if tomorrow we find a cousin - an ape species - who has immunity against COVID-19? It would greatly accelerate our own research. 

We may find that in one or other country certain traditionally used endemic plants also give remarkable results to mitigate the impacts of this infection. 

But if we fast forward 50 years, and we have a similar crisis, at least half the ape species may no longer exist. And rainforests that have the highest density of plant diversity are also rapidly disappearing. 

So we call ourselves the intelligent ape – ‘homo sapiens’ – but we are destroying our own toolbox… How smart is that?

Our current ‘civilization’ model also goes with global reduction in food crop diversity. We promote monoculture, often genetically modified. One species of potato, one species of wheat, of rice, the one that grows and sells best. Today, if a disease comes along, we still have ‘wild’ varieties of those species. But fast forward again, and few if any of those may exist.

The ongoing rapid degradation of biodiversity leads to a reduction in our own resilience. This planet and its resources have been shaped by all the bits and pieces of life that we have. We cannot simply remove a million of those and expect the system not to change dramatically.

Many of us are talking about a “return to normal” as soon as possible. But perhaps this is a good time to take stock and ask ourselves what the “normal” is that we wish to go back to?

Perhaps we need to think of a “interspecies social distancing” concept, where we ask the question how much space each species requires to allow it to exist?

  -Guy Broucke, Head of Natural Sciences, UNESCO New Delhi 

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• Country page: India
• SDG: SDG 3 - Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
• SDG: SDG 15 - Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

This article is related to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals .

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• School Education /

Essay on Biodiversity in 500 Words for Students

• Updated on  
• Dec 7, 2023

Essay on Biodiversity: Biodiversity refers to the variety of animals and plants in the world or a specific area. Even in today’s modern world where so many technological advances have taken place, we still rely on our natural environment and resources to survive, A healthy and vibrant ecosystem is not disturbed by human activities. We humans are the largest consumers of natural resources, and you know what? We are also a real threat to the natural environment? Biodiversity is not just about a variety of animal and plant species, but, also offers us water, climate, disease control, nutrition cycle, oxygen release, etc. According to one report released by the United Nations, around 10 lakh plant and animal species are on the verge of extinction. The worst thing is that this number is almost at a doubling rate.

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Why is Biodiversity Important?

Biodiversity supports all life forms on earth. To understand the importance of biodiversity, we don’t need to think or act like a biologist. All we need is a holistic understanding. 

• Biodiversity promotes resilience and stability in our ecosystem. If there is any natural disturbance in the environment, a diverse ecosystem will be able to survive and recover better.
• Fields like agriculture, forestry, and medicine completely rely on biodiversity. We get genetic resources from biodiversity, which is essential for agriculture and medicine fields.
• A healthy biodiversity environment means healthy humans. The medicinal drugs we use are derived from plants, animals, and microorganisms.
• In many parts of the world, biodiversity is an integral part of cultural identity. Indigenous tribes are connected with their natural environment and species. 
• Forest areas and oceans play an important role in regulating global temperature and storing carbon dioxide.
• Our environment is constantly changing and the species around it also need to adapt to for to survive. Therefore, genetic diversity within species is also important.
• Natural activities like soil formation, nutrient cycling, water purification, etc, are all dependent on biodiversity.

Also Read: NCERT Solutions Class 9 Natural Vegetation and Wildlife

What is Biodiversity Loss?

Biodiversity loss means the global extinction of various species, resulting in the loss of biological diversity. One of the main factors responsible for biodiversity loss is the conversion of natural habitats into agricultural and urban areas. Cutting down forests and using the land for commercial activities results in destroying the livelihood of all the species in the region. Other factors responsible for biodiversity loss are listed below.

• Overexploitation
• Climate change
• Global trade and transportation
• Emerging diseases
• Pollution 

Also Read: Essay on Save Environment

What is Biodiversity Conservation?

Biodiversity conservation refers to the preservation of species, natural resources, and habitats from the rate of extinction. To achieve the goals of biodiversity conservation, effective management, and sustainable practices are required.

• Biodiversity conservation includes protected areas like biodiversity hotspots, national parks, and wildlife sanctuaries.
• One of the most effective ways to conserve biodiversity is rehabilitation and restoring degraded habitats is crucial.
• Promoting sustainable practices in agriculture, forestry, and other resource-dependent activities is essential for the conservation of biodiversity.
• Encouraging the participation of local and indigenous communities can be one solution to achieving the goals of biodiversity conservation. Indigenous and local knowledge can contribute to effective conservation strategies.

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Quotes on Biodiversity

Here are some popular quotes on biodiversity. Feel free to add them to your writing topics related to the natural environment.

• ‘Look closely at nature. Every species is a masterclass, exclusively adapted to the particular environment in which it has survived. Who are we to destroy or even diminish biodiversity?’ – E O Wilson
• ‘Biodiversity is our most valuable but least appreciated resource.’ – E O Wilson
• ‘Biodiversity is the greeted treasure we have. It’s diminishment is to be prevented at all cost.’ – Thomas Eisner
• ‘Animal protection is education to humanity.’ – Albert Schweitzer
• ‘Only beautiful animals or ugly people wear fur.’ – Unknown
• ‘Babies and animals are the mirrors of the nature.’ – Epicurus

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Ans: Biodiversity refers to the variety of plants and animals in our natural environment or a particular region. Biodiversity supports all life forms on earth. To understand the importance of biodiversity, we don’t need to think or act like a biologist. All we need is a holistic understanding. Biodiversity promotes resilience and stability in our ecosystem. If there is any natural disturbance in the environment, a diverse ecosystem will be able to survive and recover better. Fields like agriculture, forestry, and medicine completely rely on biodiversity. We get genetic resources from biodiversity, which is essential for agriculture and medicine fields.

Ans: Biodiversity conservation refers to the preservation of species, natural resources, and habitats from the rate of extinction. To achieve the goals of biodiversity conservation, effective management, and sustainable practices are required.

Ans: Some of the popular biodiversity hotspots in India are the Himalayas, Indo-Burma, Western Ghats & Sundaland.

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Shiva Tyagi

With an experience of over a year, I've developed a passion for writing blogs on wide range of topics. I am mostly inspired from topics related to social and environmental fields, where you come up with a positive outcome.

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ENCYCLOPEDIC ENTRY

Biodiversity.

Biodiversity refers to the variety of living species on Earth, including plants, animals, bacteria and fungi. While Earth’s biodiversity is so rich that many species have yet to be discovered, many species are being threatened with extinction due to human activities, putting the Earth’s magnificent biodiversity at risk.

Biology, Ecology

Grasshoppers

Although all of these insects have a similar structure and may be genetic cousins, the beautiful variety of colors, shapes, camouflage, and sizes showcase the level of diversity possible even within a closely-related group of species.

Photograph by Frans Lanting

Biodiversity refers to all the different kinds of living organisms within a given area, including plants, animals, fungi and other living things. It includes everything from towering redwood trees to tiny, single-cell algae that are impossible to see without a microscope. 

Kinds of Biodiversity

A common way to measure biodiversity is to count the total number of species living within a particular area. Tropical regions—areas that are warm year-round—have the most biodiversity. Temperate regions, which have warm summers and cool winters, have less biodiversity. Regions with cold or dry conditions, such as mountaintops and deserts, have even less biodiversity. 

Generally, the closer a region is to the Equator, the greater the biodiversity. At least 40,000 different plant species live in the Amazon Rainforest of South America, one of the most biologically diverse regions on the planet. By contrast, only around 600 plant species live on the Antarctic continent and in its lakes.

The warm waters of the western Pacific and Indian Oceans tend to have the most diverse marine environments. The Bird’s Head Seascape in Indonesia is home to more than 1,600 species of fish and more than 70 percent of the world’s coral species. Many of the corals build coral reefs, which are home to hundreds more species, from tiny seaweeds to large sharks.

Some regions in the world have a large number of endemic species, meaning species that exist only in that place. The Cape Floristic Region in South Africa is home to about 6,200 plant species found nowhere else in the world. Areas with high numbers of endemic species are called biodiversity hotspots. Scientists and communities are making a special effort to preserve biodiversity in these regions.

Biodiversity can also refer to the variety of ecosystems, or communities of living things and their environments. Ecosystems include deserts, grasslands and rainforests, among others. The African continent is home to tropical rain forests, alpine mountains and dry deserts. It enjoys a high level of biodiversity. Antarctica, covered almost entirely by an ice sheet, has low biodiversity.

Another way to measure biodiversity is through genetic diversity. Genes are the basic units of biological information that are passed on when living things reproduce. Human beings have about 25,000 genes. Some genes are the same for all individuals within a species—they are what make a daisy a daisy and a dog a dog. But some genes within members of the same species are different. This genetic variation is why some dogs are poodles and some are pit bulls, or why some people have brown eyes and some people have blue eyes. 

Greater genetic diversity within a species can make that species more resistant to diseases, and it allows a species to better adapt to a changing environment. 

Importance of Biodiversity

All species are interconnected; they depend on one another. Forests provide homes for animals. Animals eat plants, which need healthy soil to grow. Fungi help decompose organisms to fertilize the soil. Bees and other insects carry pollen from one plant to another, which enables the plants to reproduce. With less biodiversity, these connections weaken, and sometimes break, harming all the species in the ecosystem.

Ecosystems with a lot of biodiversity are generally stronger and more resistant to disease than those with fewer species. For instance, some diseases kill only one kind of tree. In the early 1900s, American chestnut blight killed most of the chestnut trees in the eastern forests of North America. The forest ecosystem was able to survived because other kinds of trees also grew there.

Biodiversity is important to people in many ways. Plants, for instance, help humans by giving off oxygen. They also provide food, shade, construction material, medicines and fiber for clothing and paper. The root system of plants helps prevent flooding. Plants, fungi and animals, such as worms, keep soil fertile and water clean. As biodiversity decreases, these systems break down. 

Hundreds of industries rely on plant biodiversity. Agriculture, construction, medical and pharmaceutical, and fashion industries all depend on plants for their success. When the biodiversity of an ecosystem is interrupted or destroyed, the economic impact on the local community can be enormous.

Biodiversity is especially important to the medical and pharmaceutical industries. Scientists have discovered many chemicals in rainforest plants that are now used in helpful medications. One of the most popular and safe pain relievers, aspirin, was originally made from the bark of willow trees.

Medicines that treat some forms of cancer have been made from rosy periwinkle ( Catharanthus roseus ), a flower that grows on the African island of Madagascar. Traditional medicine practitioners across Africa and Asia have used the flower for centuries to treat diabetes and stomach issues. This led scientists to investigate the chemistry of the plant in the 1950s, leading to the discovery that it could be used to treat cancer.

Indigenous people around the world, particularly those who live in tropical rainforests, have long used plants for medicinal purposes. Scientists have studied only a small percentage of rainforest species in their search for cures. Many important drugs have evolved from field observations of how Indigenous people use certain plants for healing. This kind of research is called ethnobotany. But thousands of species are at risk of becoming extinct before scientists can determine whether they might be useful in medicines.

Decreasing Biodiversity

In the past hundred years, biodiversity around the world has decreased dramatically. Thousands of species are in danger of extinction. Extinction is a natural process; some species naturally die out while new species evolve. But human activity has changed the natural processes of extinction and evolution. Scientists estimate that species are dying out at hundreds of times the natural rate.

Human activity altering and destroying natural habitats is a major reason for the loss of biodiversity. As habitats shrink, fewer species can live there. Those that survive have fewer breeding partners, leading to a decline in genetic diversity.

People and corporations clear and pollute land to plant crops, keep livestock, further develop cities, mine precious metals or build housing and factories. Human-driven climate change and development have destroyed about 35% of the world’s wetlands since 1970, a habitat that 40% of plant and animal species depend on. People cut down forests for lumber and to make space for cattle ranching, which accounts for 80% of deforestation in Amazon countries. Companies have cleared large areas of rainforest in Indonesia and Malaysia to create vast plantations of palm oil trees. Companies use the fruit of the tree to create palm oil for commercial use. This large-scale deforestation is destroying habitats for critically endangered wildlife.

Pollution, overfishing and overhunting have also caused a drop in biodiversity. Global climate change—the latest rise in the average temperature around the globe, linked to human activity—is also a factor. Warmer ocean temperatures damage fragile ecosystems, such as coral reefs. A single coral reef can shelter thousands of fish species and other sea creatures, such as clams and sea stars. Scientific research has linked climate change to human activities, like burning fossil fuels and clearing forests for agriculture.

Biodiversity can also be harmed by non-native species. When people introduce species from one part of the world to another, they typically have no natural predators. These non-native species thrive in their new habitat, often destroying native species in the process. Brown tree snakes, for instance, were accidentally brought into Guam, an island in the South Pacific, in the 1950s. Because brown tree snakes have no natural predators on Guam, they quickly multiplied. The snakes, which prey on birds, have hunted at least 10 of the island’s native forest-dwelling bird species to extinction.

People all over the world are working to maintain the planet’s biodiversity. In the United States, the Endangered Species Act protects over 2,000 organisms that are in danger of extinction. In a historic move in 2021, African Parks relocated 30 white rhinos from South Africa to Rwanda’s Akagera National Park to establish a protected breeding population of white rhinos. Some organizations are working to create sustainably grown mushrooms to satisfy consumers as well as the local ecosystem.

Around the globe, thousands of wilderness areas have been set up to conserve plants, animals and ecosystems. Local, national and international organizations are cooperating to preserve the biodiversity of regions threatened by development or natural disasters. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site program recognizes areas of global importance, such as the enormous wetland region of the Pantanal in South America. Many national parks, such as Glacier National Park in the U.S. state of Montana, protect biodiversity within the park by restricting extractive activities, such as mining and drilling. In Ecuador, the Jocotoco Foundation has purchased land across the country to protect the habitats of threatened wildlife. More than 16 biological reserves have been established, including areas in the Amazon rainforest and the Galapagos Islands. 

Marine protected areas (MPAs) have been established to preserve sea life. In the MPA around Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, no-fishing zones have helped fish populations thrive. People are also working to limit pollution and restore coral reef ecosystems in the area. As ecosystems become healthier, their biodiversity increases.

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International Day for Biological Diversity 2023

When: 22 May 2023

Theme: From Agreement to Action: Build Back Biodiversity

Official website: https://www.cbd.int/article/idb2023

Although every Biodiversity Day carries its own special significance, this year’s global celebrations bring with it a renewed sense of hope with the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework at the 15th Conference of Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 15).

To mark this incredible and historic achievement, the proposal for this year’s theme is “From Agreement to Action: Build Back Biodiversity" which builds on the results of COP 15. Now that the world has the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (agreement), the focus must quickly shift to its implementation (action).

Biological diversity is often understood in terms of the wide variety of plants, animals and microorganisms, but it also includes genetic differences within each species — for example, between varieties of crops and breeds of livestock — and the variety of ecosystems (lakes, forest, deserts, agricultural landscapes) that host multiple kind of interactions among their members (humans, plants, animals).

Biological diversity resources are the pillars upon which we build civilizations . Fish provide 20 per cent of animal protein to about 3 billion people. Over 80 per cent of the human diet is provided by plants. As many as 80 per cent of people living in rural areas in developing countries rely on traditional plant‐based medicines for basic healthcare.

But loss of biodiversity threatens all, including our health. It has been proven that biodiversity loss could expand zoonoses - diseases transmitted from animals to humans- while, on the other hand, if we keep biodiversity intact, it offers excellent tools to fight against pandemics like those caused by coronaviruses.

While there is a growing recognition that biological diversity is a global asset of tremendous value to future generations, the number of species is being significantly reduced by certain human activities. Given the importance of public education and awareness about this issue, the UN decided to celebrate the International Day for Biological Diversity annually.

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Why is biodiversity important?

Biodiversity is essential for the processes that support all life on Earth, including humans. Without a wide range of animals, plants and microorganisms, we cannot have the healthy ecosystems that we rely on to provide us with the air we breathe and the food we eat. And people also value nature of itself.

Some aspects of biodiversity are instinctively widely valued by people but the more we study biodiversity the more we see that all of it is important – even bugs and bacteria that we can’t see or may not like the look of. There are lots of ways that humans depend upon biodiversity and it is vital for us to conserve it. Pollinators such as birds, bees and other insects are estimated to be responsible for a third of the world’s crop production. Without pollinators we would not have apples, cherries, blueberries, almonds and many other foods we eat. Agriculture is also reliant upon invertebrates – they help to maintain the health of the soil crops grow in.  Soil is teeming with microbes that are vital for liberating nutrients that plants need to grow, which are then also passed to us when we eat them. Life from the oceans provides the main source of animal protein for many people.

Trees, bushes and wetlands and wild grasslands naturally slow down water and help soil to absorb rainfall. When they are removed it can increase flooding. Trees and other plants clean the air we breathe and help us tackle the global challenge of climate change by absorbing carbon dioxide. Coral reefs and mangrove forests act as natural defences protecting coastlines from waves and storms. 

Many of our medicines, along with other complex chemicals that we use in our daily lives such as latex and rubber, also originate from plants. Spending time in nature is increasingly understood to lead to improvements in people’s physical and mental health. Simply having green spaces and trees in cities has been shown to decrease hospital admissions, reduce stress and lower blood pressure.

Further reading

Plural valuation of nature matters for environmental sustainability and justice by Berta Martin-Lopez, Social-Ecological Systems Institute, Faculty of Sustainability, Leuphana University of Lüneburg, Germany

Climate change and biodiversity

Human activities are changing the climate. Science can help us understand what we are doing to habitats and the climate, but also find solutions.

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Essay on Biodiversity 1000+ Words

Biodiversity, short for biological diversity, is a remarkable tapestry of life that blankets our planet. It encompasses the variety of living organisms, ecosystems, and habitats that make Earth a vibrant and thriving place. In this essay, we will delve into the importance of biodiversity, the threats it faces, and why we should protect it.

The Marvelous World of Biodiversity

Imagine a world without colorful flowers, buzzing bees, towering trees, or majestic tigers. Biodiversity is what makes our world so diverse and beautiful. It includes everything from tiny microbes in the soil to the largest whales in the ocean. Earth’s rich biodiversity provides us with essential resources, from food to medicine, and enriches our lives in countless ways.

The Benefits of Biodiversity

Biodiversity is not just about pretty landscapes and exotic animals; it plays a crucial role in sustaining life on Earth. It helps maintain a stable and healthy environment. For instance, forests with diverse tree species are better at absorbing carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change. Biodiversity also supports pollinators like bees and butterflies, which are essential for our food supply. The more diverse our ecosystems, the more resilient they are to threats like diseases and extreme weather.

Food and Medicine

Biodiversity is the foundation of our food system. Different plant and animal species provide us with a wide range of foods, from fruits and vegetables to grains and meats. Moreover, many of the medicines we rely on come from plants and animals. For example, the bark of the willow tree gave us aspirin, and the Madagascar periwinkle plant provides a lifesaving medicine for cancer patients. Protecting biodiversity ensures that we have a diverse and healthy diet and access to essential medicines.

Cultural and Recreational Value

Biodiversity isn’t just about science and survival; it also enriches our cultures and leisure activities. Many indigenous communities around the world have deep cultural connections to the land and its diverse species. Biodiversity inspires art, literature, and music. Imagine a world without the fascinating stories of animals like the African elephant or the enchanting songs of birds like the nightingale. Biodiversity enhances our quality of life in ways we might not even realize.

Threats to Biodiversity

Despite its immense value, biodiversity is under threat. Human activities, such as deforestation, pollution, overfishing, and habitat destruction, are driving many species to the brink of extinction. Climate change, fueled by the burning of fossil fuels, poses another significant threat. Rising temperatures can disrupt ecosystems and push species out of their habitats. These threats not only endanger the creatures themselves but also disrupt the delicate balance of our planet.

Conservation Efforts

The good news is that people around the world are working hard to protect biodiversity. Conservation organizations, scientists, and governments are implementing measures to safeguard endangered species and preserve critical habitats. National parks and wildlife reserves provide safe havens for countless plants and animals. Additionally, there are international agreements like the Convention on Biological Diversity aimed at preserving biodiversity on a global scale.

What You Can Do

You, as a young environmental advocate, can also play a crucial role in protecting biodiversity. You can start by learning more about the species and ecosystems in your area. Participate in local conservation efforts, like planting trees or cleaning up parks. Reduce your environmental footprint by conserving water, reducing waste, and using energy-efficient appliances. Spread the word about the importance of biodiversity to inspire others to take action.

Conclusion of Essay on Biodiversity

In conclusion, biodiversity is a precious gift that we must cherish and protect. It sustains life on Earth, provides us with essential resources, and enriches our cultures and enjoyment of the natural world. However, it faces serious threats from human activities and climate change. By understanding the importance of biodiversity and taking action to conserve it, we can ensure a healthier and more vibrant planet for future generations. Let us celebrate the wonders of biodiversity and work together to safeguard the incredible diversity of life on Earth.

Also Check: Simple Guide on How To Write An Essay

Biodiversity: Importance and Benefits Essay

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Evolution is the process of developing new structures over time and ages. There could be a misconception that evolution is all about change in the physical properties of man. For example we may think that evolution is all about a man developing from simple cell microorganisms through levels like monkeys to what he is today. Though this is a fact in the face of contemporary views on evolution, it is not the only aspect of evolution in question.

Change in so many structures of the earth has lead to many other forms of evolution resulting from the forces acting from these changes. Change in character is also a form of evolution; change in tendencies is also a form of evolution and, change in views and conceptions about certain issues is also a form of evolution and so many other things which are evolutions in their own way. In brief, we talk about change as a result of time and other forces when we talk about evolution. (Greig-Gran, 256-312)

Human beings have a tendency to value long term benefits over short term benefits. Short term benefits are the benefits that someone receives after a short period of time while long term benefits are the ones that one gets after a long period as the term itself points out. Mostly, people prefer to venture in short term benefits rather than long term benefits whether in business or any other activity which they engage in (Patent 46-59).

Over time people have changed from preferring long term benefits to preferring short term but this is not absolute since there are also changes from short term to long term. For example, people have evolved from preferring huntering and gathering to cultivation of crops which take a longer period of time to reap or harvest. This helps them to survive in a world where food supply is decreasing day after day. Initially people thought of long term benefits and that is why they reproduced.

How ever, most of the changes have been a shift from preferring long term benefit to preferring short term benefits. The technological advancements are some of the causes for this change. For example in the field of agriculture, people have developed new breeds that develop faster and that take a short time to grow and be harvested. Where the concept of shortening the time came from is a matter of time also and simply a matter of evolution though it may also been caused by some forces acting on the environment. (Greig-Gran 256-312)

Technological advancements have also contributed to this shift. Increase in population is also a factor that leads to such a change. People have mated at very high rates and this calls for increased amounts of food. There has been an evolution from growing long term crops to growing crops that a very short period of time to develop completely. People have started to use fertilizers to speed up the growth; genetically modified crops which grow first are replacing the normal crops that used to take a long time to develop.

This is due to the fact that man is evolving from the tendency of valuing long term benefits to a tendency of valuing short terms benefits. This kind of crops did not exist before, but they are common today. This and many others illustrate that man has changed or evolved from valuing long term benefits to valuing short term benefits and there is no going back because evolution does not regress and besides its evident that we are moving ahead and not backwards. (Patent 46-59).

So how can we quantify biodiversity? The view of so many people is that we should not question the importance of natural provisions. But we have to understand that human nature benefits from these provisions whether in the long term or in the short term. This way, he should also conserve biodiversity and we must know the worth of biodiversity. The cost benefit analysis can be used to do this. Through this we can know how changes in biodiversity can affect the welfare of human nature. These changes in biodiversity can be influenced by man in one way or the other and this is why the cost and benefits of this activities or actions have to be calculated.

For example in the year 1995, Alaskan gray wolfs which had been extinct from 1930 were re-introduced in the Yellowstone national park. The cost here had to be calculated because it is an activity that involves spending. The benefits have to be compared to the cost of the operation. Short term benefits and long term benefits should be assessed. (Greig-Gran 256-312)

Three quantities can be use to determine the worth of conserving biodiversity. These are direct use value, indirect use value and non use value. From this we can come up with a relationship to determine the value of biodiversity. Thus

• Value (Benefits) of conserving biodiversity = direct use value +indirect use value +non use value.

Where, direct use refers to the present and the expected benefits of the program in comparison to the cost involved. In this case we will consider the value of preserving biodiversity. Thus

• Direct use=Expected benefits-cost of operation

Indirect use value is the value of those things that can not be bought or sold but have some benefits. In ecosystems, these values include the carbon cycle, purification of air, preservation of water sheds and others. (Greig-Gran 256-312)

Non use values are the benefits people get if they don’t use biodiversity. For example, in a case of extinction, people like visiting the extinct sites to see what has happened. If the species are replaced, then this will not happen. Some of these values can not be determined easily but since we must quantify the value of biodiversity, we must determine them under whatever cost. (Greig-Gran, 2006)

The benefits of biodiversity are both long term and short term. Human beings get so many benefits from biodiversity. These services may include food, wood, nitrogen fixation, pollination, and beauty. Other services include maintenance of climate and life, prevention of overflow of water and famine, natural bug’s control, and even spiritual enrichment. Some of these benefits are long term while others are short term. (Greig-Gran, 256-312)

Quantifying the relative merits of short term unsustainable versus long term sustainable usage may not be an easy task. So many quantities have to be considered. One starts by determining which benefits are long term and which ones are short term. This introduces a quantity of time. The time taken by an ecosystem to bring some benefits is a function of the value of the ecosystem. Another quantity is the degree of sustainability which is a probability quantity. Through experience and statistics one can determine the sustainability of a certain benefit of biodiversity. All these functions combined together will lead to the quantification of both long term and short term biodiversity usage. This can be summarized by the relationship (Maclaurin 17-217)

• Long term benefit is a function of time and sustainability.
• Short term benefit is a function of time and sustainability.
• Total benefit is a function of long term benefits and short term benefits

Human beings were created to benefit from the provisions of nature. There can always be a balance between all aspects and members of an ecosystem. This becomes impossible when man exploits the natural environment and destroys the biodiversity instead of conserving it. Let’s join hands and let’s make a decision to take care of nature so that nature can take care of us. (Chivian 19-434)

Works cited

Chivian, Eric. & Bernstein, Aaron. “Sustaining life; How human health depends on biodiversity” Oxford University Press. 2008:19-434.

Greig-Gran, M. “Is tacking deforestation a cost-effective mitigation approach?” International Institute for Economic Development, 2006: 256-312.

Maclaurin, James. & Sterelny, Kim. “What is biodiversity?” University of Chicago Press. 2008:17-217.

Patent, Dorothy “Biodiversity” Sandpiper press. 2003:14-106.

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• Biodiversity Essay

Essay on Biodiversity

Biodiversity is a term made up of two words - Bio meaning Life, and Diversity meaning Variety. The term biodiversity refers to the variety of life on Earth. Plants, animals, microbes, and fungi are all examples of living species on the planet.

Types of Biodiversity  

Genetic Biodiversity- Genetic diversity is the variation in genes and genotypes within a species, e.g., every human looks different from the other. 

Species Biodiversity- Species Diversity is the variety of species within a habitat or a region. It is the biodiversity observed within a community.

Ecosystem Biodiversity- Ecological biodiversity refers to the variations in the plant and animal species living together and connected by food chains and food webs.

Importance of Biodiversity 

Biodiversity is an integral part of cultural identity. Human cultures co-evolve with their environment and conservation is a priority for cultural identity. Biodiversity is used for Medicinal purposes.

Many plants and animals are used for medicinal purposes, like vitamins and painkillers. It contributes to climate stability. It helps in controlling the effects of climate change and managing greenhouse gases. 

Biodiversity provides more food resources. It supplies many vital ecosystems, such as creating and maintaining soil quality, controlling pests, and providing habitat for wildlife. Biodiversity has a relationship with Industry. Biological sources provide many Industrial materials including rubber, cotton, leather, food, paper, etc.

There are many economic benefits of Biodiversity. Biodiversity also helps in controlling pollution. Biodiversity helps in forming a healthy ecosystem. Biodiversity also acts as a source of recreation. Along with other factors, biodiversity helps in improving soil quality.

Long Essay on Biodiversity 

There are many economic benefits of Biodiversity. Biodiversity is a source of economic wealth for many regions of the world. Biodiversity facilitates Tourism and the Recreational industry. Natural Reserves and National Parks benefit a lot from it. Forest, wildlife, biosphere reserve, sanctuaries are prime spots for ecotourism, photography, painting, filmmaking, and literary works.

Biodiversity plays a vital role in the maintenance of the gaseous composition of the atmosphere, breakdown of waste material, and removal of pollutants.

Conservation of Biodiversity  

Biodiversity is very important for human existence as all life forms are interlinked with each other and one single disturbance can have multiple effects on another. If we fail to protect our biodiversity, we can endanger our plants, animals, and environment, as well as human life. Therefore, it is necessary to protect our biodiversity at all costs. Conservation of Biodiversity can be done by educating the people to adopt more environment-friendly methods and activities and develop a more harmonious and empathetic nature towards the environment. The involvement and cooperation of communities are very important. The process of continuous protection of Biodiversity is the need of the hour.

The Government of India, along with 155 other nations, has signed the convention of Biodiversity at the Earth Summit to protect it. According to the summit, efforts should be made in preserving endangered species. 

The preservation and proper management methods for wildlife should be made. Food crops, animals, and plants should be preserved. Usage of various food crops should be kept at a minimum. Every country must realize the importance of protecting the ecosystem and safeguarding the habitat. 

The Government of India has launched the Wild Life Protection Act 1972 to protect, preserve, and propagate a variety of species. The Government has also launched a scheme to protect national parks and sanctuaries. There are 12 countries - Mexico, Columbia, Peru, Brasil, Ecuador, Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, India, China, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Australia, in which Mega Diversity Centres are located. These countries are tropical and they possess a large number of the world’s species.

Various hotspots have been made to protect the vegetation. There are various methods for conserving biodiversity. 

If biodiversity conservation is not done efficiently, each species would eventually become extinct due to a lack of appetite and hunger. This scenario has been a big issue for the last few decades, and many unique species have already become extinct. As a result of a lack of biodiversity protection, several species are still on the verge of extinction.

FAQs on Biodiversity Essay

1. What are the three types of Biodiversity?

Biodiversity is referred to as the variability that exists between the living organisms from different sources of nature, such as terrestrial, marine, and other aquatic ecosystems. Biodiversity has three levels, which are genetic, species, and ecosystem diversity. This is also considered as the type of ecosystem.

2. What is Biodiversity and why is it important?

Biodiversity is responsible for boosting the productivity of the ecosystems in which every species, no matter how small, has an important role to play. For example, a greater variety of crops can be obtained from a plant species which is in large numbers. If species diversity is in a greater amount, then it ensures natural sustainability for all life forms.

3. What is the connection between Biodiversity and the Food Chain?

If a single species goes extinct from the food chain, it will have an impact on the species that survive on it, putting them on the verge of extinction.

4. How are human beings affecting biodiversity?

Pollution- Pollution not only affects human beings, but also affects our flora and fauna, and we should control the pollution to conserve our biodiversity.

Population- Population control is a must to maintain a balance in our ecological system. Humans contribute to pollution by bursting crackers and by not following all the traffic rules.

5. How does Deforestation affect biodiversity?

Deforestation- Trees are very important for survival. They help in balancing out the ecosystem. Deforestation leads to the destruction of habitat. Deforestation should be stopped to protect our animals and plants. Deforestation not only removes vegetation that is important for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, but it also emits greenhouse gases.

International Day for Biological Diversity

Last updated : 17 May 2024

SDG14  | SDG15

Biodiversity is the living fabric of our planet. It underpins human well-being in the present and in the future, and its rapid decline threatens nature and people alike. On 22 May, we celebrate the International Day for Biological Diversity, to raise awareness of the vital importance of preserving biodiversity. As a global hub for environmental governance, Geneva is home to many organizations active in safeguarding biodiversity.

The International Day for Biological Diversity , celebrated each year on May 22, aims to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues. Although it was originally celebrated in late December, the UN General Assembly later decided to move the date to 22 May, which commemorates the adoption of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in 1992.

Biodiversity is the living fabric of our planet. It underpins human well-being in the present and in the future, and its rapid decline threatens nature and people alike. According to the latest Global Assessment by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), human activities are driving biodiversity loss at an unprecedented rate. However, the assessment also indicated that solutions existed and that it was not too late to act.

2024 Theme | Be Part of the Plan

“ Be part of the Plan ”, the theme of IDB 2024, is a call to action for all stakeholders to halt and reverse the loss of biodiversity by supporting the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, also referred to as the  The Biodiversity Plan .

The Biodiversity Plan offers opportunities for cooperation and partnerships among diverse actors.

Governments, indigenous peoples and local communities, non-governmental organizations, lawmakers, businesses, and individuals are encouraged to highlight the ways in which they are supporting the implementation of the Biodiversity Plan. Everyone has a role to play and therefore can Be Part of the Plan.

This year the celebration of IDB will coincide with two meetings of Subsidiary Bodies of the Convention on Biological Diversity both taking place in Nairobi, namely: the twenty-sixth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA, 13-18 May) and the fourth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Implementation (SBI, 21-29 May).

IDB 2024 is expected to increase the visibility momentum in the lead-up to  the sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP 16) , to be held in Colombia from 21 October to 1 November 2024.

• 2023 | From agreement to action: build back biodiversity

Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework

The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) was adopted during the  fifteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 15) following a four-year  consultation and negotiation process . This historic Framework, which supports the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and builds on the Convention’s previous Strategic Plans, sets out an ambitious pathway to reach the global vision of a world living in harmony with nature by 2050. Among the Framework’s key elements are 4 goals for 2050 and 23 targets for 2030.

The implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework will be guided and supported through a comprehensive package of decisions also adopted at COP 15. This package includes a monitoring framework for the GBF,  an enhanced mechanism for planning, monitoring, reporting and reviewing implementation, the necessary financial resources for implementation, strategic frameworks for capacity development and technical and scientific cooperation, as well as an agreement on digital sequence information on genetic resources.

In adopting the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, all Parties committed to setting national targets to implement it, while all other actors have been invited to develop and communicate their  own commitments . At the next meeting of the Conference of the Parties in 2024 in Türkiye, the world will take stock of the targets and commitments that have been set.

Importance of Biodiversity

Scientists estimate that there are at least 8 million species of plants and animals living on earth today, including humans. The ecosystems in which these species live are incredibly complex and every piece of an ecosystem depends on the others like a jigsaw puzzle. Humans are immersed in ecosystems and depend on these interconnected networks of plants, animals, and people. However, human activities are significantly impacting ecosystems, for instance through man-made climate change, pollution, and habitat loss. By removing just one species as a result of climate change, pollution, habitat loss, or some other natural or man-made factors, a domino effect can occur that has a big impact on the entire ecosystem.

A healthy biodiversity and functioning ecosystems are essential for human societies in numerous ways. About half of the world’s GDP – about 44 trillion USD – is dependent on natural resources, while nature provides at least $125 trillion worth of services annually . Nature also protects our health in many ways. As the current pandemic has shown, the increasing negative impact of human activities on the environment severely threatens human and ecosystem health . Furthermore, as the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment pointed out in one of his latest report , ecosystem degradation and the decline of biodiversity are threatening the rights to life, health, food, a healthy environment, water, an adequate standard of living and culture.

Human negative impact on biodiversity has reached an unprecedented scale. About 75% of terrestrial environment and 66% of the marine environment have been significantly altered by human actions . Approximately 1 million animal and plant species are now threatened with extinction . Overall, current negative trends in biodiversity and ecosystems are undermining progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The main global drivers of biodiversity loss are climate change, invasive species, over-exploitation of natural resources, pollution and urbanization. Without rapid and ambitious action to reverse these trends and safeguard nature, we are at risk of failing to achieve the 2030 Agenda.

A healthy biosphere, with a rich biodiversity and functioning ecosystems, is the foundation to achieve the societal and economic goals of the SDGs. Source: Stockholm Resilience Centre

Role of Geneva

As a global hub for environmental governance, international Geneva plays a key role in the protection of biodiversity globally. Various international and local organizations in Geneva are engaged in the protection and conservation of our biological diversity.

Biodiversity Day Celebration 2024 | International Geneva Implementing the Biodiversity Plan

22 May 2024 | Palais des Nations, Room III

Fête de la Nature

22 – 26 May 2024 | Association de la Fête de la Nature

Introductory Course to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)

InforMEA | Online

Introductory Course to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)

Introductory Course to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

CAS Nature en ville

22 September 2023 | HEPIA | Rue de la Prairie 4

Communicating the value of biodiversity

CBD, UNDP, NBSAP Forum, and Rare | Online

Latest News & Resources

• International Day for Biological Diversity – 22 May | CBD
• Messages for the International Day for Biological Diversity | CBD | including statements from UN Secretary-General , CBD Executive Secretary , CITES , UNEP , Ramsar Convention , IPBES , IPCC , and more.
• Souvenirs sans mauvaise surprise | Switzerland’s Federal Office of the Environment | 24 April 2022
• Measuring Progress: Nature and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) | UNEP & IUCN | 22 May 2021
• Interlinkages between the chemicals and waste multilateral environmental agreements and biodiversity – Key Insights | BRS & Minamata Conventions | 21 May 2021
• Why biodiversity may be more important to your business than you realize | EY | 25 April 2022
• Why trade must be part of the solution to biodiversity loss | UNCTAD | 21 May 2021
• Deuxième édition de “La nuit est belle!” | City of Geneva | 11 May 2021
• 178 communes du Grand Genève participeront à « La nuit est belle ! » le vendredi 21 mai prochain | SIG | 11 May 2021
• Une cartographie de la nuit noire pour mieux la protéger de la pollution lumineuse | Le Dauphiné | 24 April 2021
• Our Planet: One Planet and Sanctuary Forest | Wednesdays for the Planet | Geneva Environment Network | 3 March 2021
• Our Planet: Fresh Water | Wednesdays for the Planet | Geneva Environment Network | 11 November 2020
• Our Planet: Forests  | Wednesdays for the Planet | Geneva Environment Network | 4 November 2020
• Dans Ma Nature – Platform to discover nature and biodiversity in Geneva

How to be part of the Plan

This is an ambitious plan to halt and reverse biodiversity loss. Its implementation requires a whole-of-society approach.

National governments adopted the biodiversity plan. now is the time for implementation. the clock is ticking..

Governments are expected to implement the Biodiversity Plan that their representatives adopted at COP 15 of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). 

A crucial first milestone in the implementation process is to align national biodiversity strategies and action plans (NBSAPs) with the Biodiversity Plan. These revised NBSAPs will demonstrate how a country will implement the Biodiversity Plan and provide indications on how implementation will happen at the national level. 

NBSAPs are crucial because they will outline how the global Biodiversity Plan and each of its 23 targets will be realized in national laws, regulations and measures. By doing so, NBSAPs will drive progress in the pursuit of the four goals of the Biodiversity Plan—(A) protect and restore; (B) prosper with nature; (C) share benefits fairly; (D) invest and collaborate. 

Click here to view NBSAP submissions.

Citizens and civil society: a quick guide on what you can do to be part of the Plan. 

Has your country submitted its NBSAP? Click here to view NBSAP submissions. Governments are accountable for the implementation of the Biodiversity Plan, but everyone has a role to play, including you. 

Here is a non-exhaustive list of steps you can take to be part of the Plan: 

Protect and restore

• Add new healthy or local foods to your diet. Moderate consumption of meat and fish reduces pressure on natural resources. Consume fruit and vegetables in season. 
• Reduce waste by shopping sensibly. Compost food waste.  Repair, re-use and recycle anything from home appliances to clothing. 
• Learn how your use of chemicals (example: chemicals contained in detergents, pesticides and cosmetics) affects biodiversity and use this knowledge to adopt environmentally friendly alternatives.

Prosper with nature

• Choose fresh produce from local markets and support bio-products. Favor products with fair trade certifications or eco-friendly labels when making purchasing decisions.
• Support and promote ecological tourism. Your next adventure does not have to leave a giant carbon footprint: consider nearby destinations. Explain the value of biodiversity to those around you. There is plenty of fun to be had while avoiding activities that disturb fauna and flora. 

Share benefits fairly

• Learn about the concept of benefit-sharing that is enshrined in Article 15 of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Nagoya Protocol that complements it. 
• Respect the knowledge, practices and innovations of indigenous peoples and local communities in relation to biodiversity and recognize their rights to land and resources. 

Invest and collaborate

• Enquire about corporate social responsibility policies before buying a company’s products. Invest in green businesses or start a green business of your own.
• Engage with political officials from your region and/or with local representatives (example: the Member of Parliament for your region and/or the mayor of your city) and request information on what the authorities are doing to implement the Biodiversity Plan. 

Women and girls are half of society. Gender equality is part of the Plan. 

Women play critical roles in biodiversity conservation and sustainable use, ecosystem restoration and environmental justice. The Biodiversity Plan recognizes that successful implementation will depend on ensuring gender equality and empowerment of women and girls, and on reducing inequalities.  

Target 23 of the Biodiversity Plan aims to ensure gender equality through a gender-responsive approach, recognizing the equal rights and access to land and natural resources for women and girls, and their full, equitable, meaningful, and informed participation and leadership at all levels of action, engagement, policy, and decision-making processes related to biodiversity. 

The Biodiversity Plan is accompanied by a very ambitious Gender Plan of Action . This sets out concrete actions to be taken by all actors to enable women and girls to fully participate and contribute to the implementation processes.

Young people’s choices and actions can accelerate the transformational change we need. 

If you are a young person and you would like to be part of the Plan, there is plenty you can do. From talking about the value of biodiversity to your peers to persuading your parents to stop using pesticides in your garden, your actions—however small—matter and will inspire others around you. 

• Start a campaign about a bird, mammal, amphibian, plant, pollinator, or any species of your choosing and explain what role they play in the local ecosystem. Learn about genetic diversity and take time to explain it to your friends and peers. 
• Find out how scientists and farmers are safeguarding seeds and animal breeds for present and future generations. Read the labels and learn about the impact that chemicals contained in common household products have on biodiversity. Advise your family and friends on environmentally friendly alternatives. 
• Be the change you want to see in the world:  recycle, reuse and reduce waste. Consume food from your local market. Try growing fruit and vegetables at home or encourage your friends and neighbors to set up a community garden in your area. 
• Find alternatives to fast fashion. More durable clothing reduces carbon emissions, pollution from chemicals used in dyeing and the release of microplastics to the ocean.   
• Discuss with your grandparents or elders in your community about the type of foods they used to eat. Ask them about how the food was found and cooked. 
• Value and respect the knowledge, practices, and innovations of indigenous peoples and local communities in the field of biodiversity conservation. You can do so by embracing safeguards such as the principle of free, prior, and informed consent to access their knowledge.
• Adopt more sustainable practices when choosing hobbies, means of transportation, energy sources, foods, clothes, and other products. 
• Join a youth organization/movement/network/community that is working on biodiversity protection and restoration or help other groups integrate biodiversity-related issues in their work.  

Recognizing the contributions of indigenous peoples and local communities is essential. 

Indigenous peoples and local communities are the custodians of biodiversity and hold invaluable knowledge, innovations, and practices that have sustained ecosystems for generations. Recognizing and respecting their contributions towards the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and their rights is essential. 

• Promote the recognition and respect of the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities over their indigenous and traditional territories.
• Support restoration projects led by indigenous peoples and local communities, such as reforestation or habitat preservation initiatives, to revitalize ecosystems and promote biodiversity conservation.
• Protect and encourage customary sustainable use by indigenous peoples and local communities, such as traditional farming techniques and community-managed conservation areas, which have sustained ecosystems for generations.
• Implement policies and mechanisms to ensure that indigenous peoples and local communities receive their fair share of benefits arising from the use of traditional knowledge associated with genetic resources. This includes establishing transparent benefit-sharing agreements and monitoring mechanisms to track the distribution of both monetary and non-monetary benefits.
• Establish knowledge-sharing platforms and networks for traditional knowledge into biodiversity conservation and sustainable use efforts. These platforms will serve as vital channels for indigenous peoples and local communities to foster collaboration and enable their participation in addressing critical biodiversity challenges.
• Support capacity-building initiatives to empower indigenous peoples and local communities to participate meaningfully in benefit-sharing negotiations and decision-making processes. Make financial mechanisms accessible to support indigenous peoples and local communities in implementing the Biodiversity Plan. 

Cities are hubs of cooperation, innovation and investment.  Here is how they can be part of the Plan. 

Subnational governments, cities and local authorities can help achieve the vision of living in harmony with nature by 2050 at all levels of society. 

If you represent a city, subnational government or local authority, take a moment to read the Plan of Action on Subnational Governments, Cities and Other Local Authorities for Biodiversity (2023–2030) . Here is a non-exhaustive list of steps you can take to be part of the Plan:

• Review and update subnational and local rules and regulations related to urban and territorial planning and development to ensure alignment with the Convention on Biological Diversity and the relevant national policies reflecting it.
• Organize consultations with indigenous peoples and local communities and stakeholders, including women and youth, to seek ways in which your subnational government, city and local authorities can contribute to the attainment of the Biodiversity Plan’s 23 targets. Build on these consultation s to draw up a local biodiversity action plan at subnational or city level.
• Establish policies and incentives that encourage and acknowledge the contributions from urban protected areas or other effective area-based conservation measures.  
• Enhance biodiversity and ecosystem services in urban and peri-urban areas. Improve access to green spaces and encourage actions to increase ecological connectivity.
•   Mobilize expertise to implement integrated urban and territorial planning that considers both human wellbeing and the health of ecosystems.
• Learn about the concept of benefit-sharing that is enshrined in Article 15 of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Nagoya Protocol that complements it.
• Protect and promote customary sustainable use by indigenous peoples and local communities by integrating their recognition into local biodiversity plans and strategies.
• Seek ways to translate your country’s National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) into subnational and local plans ­­and engage with national authorities to include your actions in the NBSAP.
•   Draw up gender-sensitive, local schemes and programmes that incentivize your citizens’ active participation in the protection and restoration of biodiversity including through communication, education and public awareness campaigns.
• Create incentives for investments that can generate new streams of revenue for the conservation and restoration of ecosystems at the subnational and local levels.

Businesses and financial institutions have a pivotal role to play.

The world is on the cusp of an energy transition and a broader shift to sustainability in response to the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. The current trajectory is simply not viable . 

Here is a non-exhaustive list of steps that corporations, SMEs, financial institutions, managers, entrepreneurs, businesspeople, financiers and investors can take to be part of the Biodiversity Plan:   

• Rethink your relationship with nature by weaving biodiversity into your business models and portfolios.
• Use the Biodiversity Plan as a blueprint for the articulation of your organization’s sustainability and Environment Social Governance (ESG) strategies as well as investment decisions.
• Sustainability is about being on the right side of history . Let your commitment to sustainability be part of your marketing communications strategy.  
• Green the value chain : design your products, services and portfolios around sustainable production and consumption. Encourage your suppliers, business partners and investors to commit to sustainability across the value-chain.
• Design fair arrangements whereby communities can benefit and thrive from your use of genetic and natural resources.
• When using traditional knowledge, ensure that your company obtains the free prior and informed consent of the owners of such knowledge.
• Assess and disclose the impacts and dependencies that your business has on biodiversity.
• Transform your business models to reduce negative impacts on biodiversity over time and communicate progress transparently.  
• Invest in biodiversity-friendly Research and Development. Consider the costs associated with sustainable production as an investment towards a more sustainable future for your business and for the planet.

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Biodiversity - our strongest natural defense against climate change

Biological diversity — or biodiversity — is the variety of life on Earth, in all its forms, from genes and bacteria to entire ecosystems such as forests or coral reefs. The biodiversity we see today is the result of 4.5 billion years of evolution, increasingly influenced by humans.

Biodiversity forms the web of life that we depend on for so many things – food, water, medicine, a stable climate, economic growth, among others. Over half of global GDP is dependent on nature. More than 1 billion people rely on forests for their livelihoods. And land and the ocean absorb more than half of all carbon emissions. 

But nature is in crisis. Up to one million species are threatened with extinction, many within decades. Irreplaceable ecosystems like parts of the Amazon rainforest are turning from carbon sinks into carbon sources due to deforestation. And 85 per cent of wetlands , such as salt marshes and mangrove swamps which absorb large amounts of carbon, have disappeared.   

How is climate change affecting biodiversity?  

The main driver of biodiversity loss remains humans’ use of land – primarily for food production . Human activity has already altered over 70 per cent of all ice-free land. When land is converted for agriculture, some animal and plant species may lose their habitat and face extinction.  

But climate change is playing an increasingly important role in the decline of biodiversity. Climate change has altered marine, terrestrial, and freshwater ecosystems around the world. It has caused the loss of local species, increased diseases, and driven mass mortality of plants and animals, resulting in the first climate-driven extinctions.

On land, higher temperatures have forced animals and plants to move to higher elevations or higher latitudes, many moving towards the Earth’s poles, with far-reaching consequences for ecosystems. The risk of species extinction increases with every degree of warming.  

In the ocean, rising temperatures increase the  risk of irreversible loss of marine and coastal ecosystems . Live coral reefs , for instance, have nearly halved in the past 150 years, and further warming threatens to destroy almost all remaining reefs.  

Overall, climate change affects the health of ecosystems , influencing shifts in the distribution of plants, viruses, animals, and even human settlements. This can create increased opportunities for animals to spread diseases and for viruses to spill over to humans. Human health can also be affected by reduced ecosystem services, such as the loss of food, medicine and livelihoods provided by nature.   

Why is biodiversity essential for limiting climate change?  

When human activities produce greenhouse gases, around half of the emissions remain in the atmosphere, while the other half is  absorbed by the land and ocean . These ecosystems – and the biodiversity they contain – are natural carbon sinks, providing so-called nature-based solutions to climate change.

Protecting, managing, and restoring forests , for example, offers roughly two-thirds of the total mitigation potential of all nature-based solutions. Despite massive and ongoing losses, forests still cover more than 30 per cent of the planet’s land.

Peatlands – wetlands such as marshes and swamps – cover only 3 per cent of the world’s land, but they store twice as much carbon as all the forests. Preserving and restoring peatlands means keeping them wet so the carbon doesn’t oxidize and float off into the atmosphere. 

Ocean habitats such as seagrasses and mangroves can also  sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere  at rates up to four times higher than terrestrial forests can. Their ability to capture and store carbon make mangroves highly valuable in the fight against climate change.

Conserving and restoring natural spaces , both on land and in the water, is essential for limiting carbon emissions and adapting to an already changing climate. About one-third of the greenhouse gas emissions reductions needed in the next decade could be achieved by improving nature’s ability to absorb emissions. 

Is the UN tackling climate and biodiversity together?  

Climate change and biodiversity loss (as well as pollution) are part of an interlinked triple planetary crisis the world is facing today. They need to be tackled together if we are to advance the Sustainable Development Goals and secure a viable future on this planet.

Governments deal with climate change and biodiversity through two different international agreements – the  UN Framework Convention on Climate Change  (UNFCCC) and the  UN Convention on Biological Diversity  (CBD), both established at the 1992 Rio Earth Summit.

Similar to the historic  Paris Agreement  made in 2015 under the UNFCCC, parties to the Biodiversity Convention in December 2022 adopted an agreement for nature, known as the  Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework , which succeeds the  Aichi Biodiversity Targets  adopted in 2010.

The framework includes wide-ranging steps to tackle the causes of biodiversity loss worldwide, including climate change and pollution.

“An ambitious and effective post-2020 global biodiversity framework, with clear targets and benchmarks, can put nature and people back on track,”  the UN Secretary-General said , adding that, “this framework should work in synergy with the Paris Agreement on climate change and other multilateral agreements on forests, desertification and oceans.”

In December 2022,  governments met in Montreal, Canada  to agree on the new framework to secure an ambitious and transformative global plan to set humanity on a path to living in harmony with nature.

“Delivering on the framework will contribute to the climate agenda, while full delivery of the Paris Agreement is needed to allow the framework to succeed,”  said Inger Andersen , the head of the UN Environment Programme. “We can’t work in isolation if we are to end the triple planetary crises.”

Watch our  interview with Elizabeth Mrema , the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity.

Read the UN Secretary-General’s speech at the Countdown to COP15: Leaders Event for a Nature-Positive World in September 2022, and his remarks at the December 2022 Biodiversity Conference and Press Conference.  

Learn more about…

Climate issues

Learn more about how climate change impacts are felt across different sectors and ecosystems.

Elizabeth Mrema: Protecting the world’s biodiversity

The Executive Secretary of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, Elizabeth Mrema, speaks about the interlinkages between climate change and biodiversity loss.

Hindou Ibrahim: Living in harmony with nature

“Indigenous peoples are a solution, we are not only a victim of the climate change,” says SDG Advocate and Indigenous rights activists Hindou Ibrahim.

Elliott Harris: Measure the value of nature – before it’s too late

UN Chief Economist Elliott Harris introduces a ground-breaking shift in valuing nature as a way of making more informed decisions about economies, climate action and the protection of biodiversity.

The Ocean – the world’s greatest ally against climate change

The ocean is central to reducing global greenhouse gas emissions. Here are a few reasons we need to safeguard the ocean as our best ally for climate solutions.

Renewable energy – powering a safer future

Derived from natural resources that are abundant and continuously replenished, renewable energy is key to a safer, cleaner, and sustainable world.  Explore common sources of renewable energy here.

Causes and effects of climate change

Fossil fuels are by far the largest contributor to the greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change, which poses many risks to all forms of life on Earth.

Facts and figures

• What is climate change?
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• School Life

Engaging 10 Lines, Short and Long Essay on National Space Day 2024

National space day essay 2024: as national space day is just around the corner (august 23), we have provided 10 lines, informative short, long essays and facts that students can use on the occasion. students can utilize these essays for school competitions. celebrate india’s stellar contributions to the world.

Essay on National Space Day for School Children: The first National Space Day (also known as ISRO Day) will be celebrated on August 23 this year. National Space Day is an occasion to recognize important achievements in the field of space exploration and advancements in space technology. The purpose behind observing this event is to develop interest in space science and technology among students and inspire future generations. 

August 23 was declared as National Space Day last year by the government. This was done to highlight the glorious achievements of our country’s space missions. It was also announced with the aim to honour the remarkable success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, which achieved a safe and soft landing of the Vikram Lander at the 'Shiv Shakti' point and deployed the Pragyaan Rover on the lunar surface on August 23, 2023. 

Also Check: National Space Day 2024: CBSE Guidelines and Activities For Schools

10 Lines on National Space Day 

National Space Day Essay in 100 Words

India’s inspiring journey in space exploration will be celebrated in the form of National Space Day on August 23, 2024. This will be the first time that this event will be observed. This day will honour our country’s progress in space exploration and technology. The government established this day last year on August 23, 2023 to mark the successful landing of the Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon.

The scientists of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) devoted all their time and energy to make the Chandrayaan-3 mission a success after the failure of Chandrayaan-2. National Space Day commemorates this historic achievement. 

National Space Day Essay in 200 Words 

National Space Day will be observed on August 23, 2024. This year will mark the first celebration of this day. National Space Day is also known as ISRO Day. On National Space Day, people will come together to celebrate India’s glorious achievements in the areas of space missions and explorations. It was on August 23, 2023 that National Space Day was established to honour the contributions of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). 

On this day last year, India achieved the historic feat of becoming the first nation to land near the lunar South Pole. The Chandrayaan-3 mission achieved a safe and soft landing of the Vikram Lander at the 'Shiv Shakti' point and deployed the Pragyaan Rover on the lunar surface on August 23. National Space Day highlights India’s dedication towards space research. 

The importance of National Space Day lies in the extraordinary success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission and the devotion of the ISRO scientists. The theme for the celebration of National Space Day is ‘Touching Lives while Touching the Moon: India’s Space Saga’.

This day is an opportunity to pay heartfelt tribute to India’s efforts in space missions. On this National Space Day, we should promote national pride. 

National Space Day Essay in 500 Words 

National Space Day will be observed on August 23, 2024. It recognizes the achievements that India has achieved in space exploration and the advancements she has made in space technology. It was on August 23, 2023 that the government announced that from 2024, this day will be celebrated as National Space Day. 

 India became the first nation to land near the lunar South Pole on August 23, 2023. National Space Day celebrates the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission which achieved a safe and soft landing of the Vikram Lander at the 'Shiv Shakti' point and deployed the Pragyaan Rover on the lunar surface. Behind the success of this mission, lies the hardwork and dedication of the scientists of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). 

ISRO was initially the Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR), established in 1962. ISRO, formed on August 15, 1969, superseded INCOSPAR. Chandrayaan-3 came after the failure of Chandrayaan-2. Chandrayaan-2 was launched on July 22, 2019. In September, ISRO lost contact with the Vikram lander as it crashed. This happened due to the high velocity of the lander. 

Chandrayaan-3 displayed India’s commitment to space exploration and to unravel the mysteries of the Moon. Chandrayaan-3 consisted of an indigenous Lander module (LM), Propulsion module (PM) and a Rover with the purpose of developing and demonstrating new technologies needed for Inter planetary missions. The rover's purpose was to carry out in-situ chemical analysis of the lunar surface. 

Also Check: चंद्रयान 3 पर हिंदी निबंध और भाषण: Chandrayaan 3 Essay in Hindi for School Students

Chandrayaan 3 was launched at 2:35 pm on July 14, 2023 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre. The rover made a successful soft landing on the Moon at 6:30 pm on August 24, 2023. It was put to sleep in September. 

The objectives of the mission were to demonstrate safe and soft landing on the lunar surface, to demonstrate rover roving on the Moon and to conduct in-situ scientific experiments.

Chandrayaan-3 focused on- to carry out the measurements of thermal properties of lunar surface near polar region, to derive the chemical composition and infer mineralogical composition, to determine the elemental composition of lunar soil and rocks etc. 

 It will also help in the future discoveries of smaller planets in reflected light which will allow us to probe into a variety of Exo-planets which would qualify for the presence of life. Apart from this, ISRO has launched many missions such as the Aditya-L1 mission (September 2, 2023). It is the first space based Indian mission to study the Sun. 

Few of the prominent future missions of ISRO are- Gaganyaan-1 (demonstration of human spaceflight capability by launching crew of 3 members to an orbit of 400 km for a 3 days mission and bring them back safely), NISAR (being developed by ISRO with NASA, first dual frequency radar imaging mission), Shukrayaan (mission to study Venus), Mangalyaan-2 (India’s second mission to Mars). 

Interesting Facts For National Space Day 

You can use these additional facts to add value to your essay. 

1. Space research activities began in India in the early 1960’s. 

2.Dr. Vikram Sarabhai was the founding father of the Indian space programme.

 3.The first ‘Experimental Satellite Communication Earth Station (ESCES)’ located in Ahmedabad was operationalized in 1967. It also acted as a training centre for the Indian as well as International scientists and engineers.

4.ISRO’s first satellite, Aryabhatta, was launched in 1975. 

5.Chandrayaan-1 made India the fourth nation to hoist its flag on the Moon. 

6.ISRO’s Mars Orbiter Mission made India the first nation to reach its orbit in the first attempt itself.

Students use these essays to commemorate India's achievements in space and inspire all to reach for the stars. 

Also, check

National Space Day 2024: Best Poster and Banner Ideas for Students with Images

National Space Day Speech 2024: Check Short and Long Speech in English

National Space Day 2024 पर छोटे और बड़े निबंध हिंदी में: 10 पंक्तियां यहां प्राप्त करें

National Space Day 2024: 23 अगस्त 2024 राष्ट्रीय अंतरिक्ष दिवस पर छोटे और बड़े भाषण यहाँ पढ़ें

Chandrayaan 3 Essay in English for School Students

Chandrayaan 3: Scientists Behind ISRO Moon Mission

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List of ISRO Chairman 2024: Name, Tenure and Other Important Facts

CDS 2 Admit Card 2024 To Be Released Soon at upsc.gov.in; Check Hall Ticket Download Link Here

UP Police 2024 Exam Begins Tomorrow, Check Exam Day Guidelines, Reporting Time