The webinar “Biodiversity Beyond Boundaries: Insights from the World Bank and EU Conservation Initiatives in Protected Areas” took place on 23 May 2024.
Webinar objectives
The purpose of the event was to share the experience on protecting and conserving the biodiversity across the globe, including the protected sites in the Eastern Partnership (EaP) region and wetlands in the Amazon region.
Background
Healthy biodiversity and ecosystems provide essential services like air and water purification, carbon absorption, and climate regulation, crucial for sustaining economies and human well-being. Yet, pollution and unsustainable use of land and water resources have led to the global loss of biodiversity — declines in animal and plant species, ultimately threatening ecosystems and humanity. In October 2022, at the Conference of the Parties (COP-15) to the Convention on Biological Diversity, in Kunming, China, countries committed and defined a path to reversing the dramatic decline of biodiversity and ecosystem services worldwide. Just two months later, in December 2022 in Montreal, the governments further pledged to restore 30% of land and water by 2030.
Among landscape restoration efforts, protected areas are critical for maintaining ecosystem balance, preserving habitats, building resilience to climate change, providing global food security, maintaining water quality, conserving natural resources, and driving economy.