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World Nature Conservation Day is celebrated every year on July 28 and serves as a reminder of the value of conservation for people and wildlife alike. On this day, we are invited to reflect on ways to protect the environment and natural resources and raise awareness about ways to save species that are facing threats of extinction.
Even while environmental conservation has received more attention in recent years, there is still a long way to go until effective measures bear fruit. According to a report by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), more than a million species of plants and animals are under threat of extinction. If we are to successfully preserve and repair harmed ecosystems, transformative change is required.
Emerging technologies — ranging from sampling environmental DNA for biodiversity monitoring to developing artificial intelligence for wildlife identification — are growing components of ongoing conservation efforts. One such tool being explored, gene drive editing, could provide more precise, cost-effective, and compassionate solutions to safeguard endangered species, complement present efforts to prevent biodiversity loss, and improve biodiversity conservation. Furthering investment in research and innovation holds potential for the most recent developments in science and technology to contribute to conservation efforts safely and effectively.
International cooperation is also key to addressing current environmental challenges on a global scale. The Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) can be a critical tool for the world to stop and reverse the current catastrophic trends, as it will define targets and pathways for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity over the next decade and beyond. The need for innovation and science is slowly gaining ground in the new Framework as a means to provide the speed, size, and affordability required to address conservation challenges in the coming years. However, the role of science and innovation remains overall underestimated. The Framework will be finalized and adopted at the UN Convention on Biological Diversity COP15, to be held December 7-19 in Montreal, Canada.
