NAIROBI, May 22 (Xinhua) -- Kenya marked International Day for Biological Diversity Monday with senior officials renewing their commitment to protecting species currently facing multiple threats.
Soipan Tuya, cabinet secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry, said that the loss of biodiversity in the country is worrying hence the urgency to initiate sustainable conservation measures.
"Nature is declining in our country at rates unprecedented in human history and the rate of species extinctions is accelerating with grave impacts on people," Tuya said at a briefing in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital.
She said the government encourages the application of diverse knowledge systems and practices that includes indigenous communities to transform an approach to biodiversity management.
The official noted that the country has drawn plans toward halting and reversing biodiversity loss as outlined in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) that was agreed upon in 2022 to enhance the protection of species.
The theme of this year's International Day for Biological Diversity is "From Agreement to Action: Build Back Biodiversity." It calls for a multilateral agreement for achieving the global vision of sustainable existence between the human population and nature by 2050 to help save more than 1 million plant and animal species globally that are faced with extinction due to human activity.
Tuya disclosed that Kenya has embarked on reviewing and updating the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) to make it a comprehensive strategy for the effective implementation of the KMGBF.
She said that all state and non-state actors have been briefed to proactively participate in implementing the KMGBF to address the loss of biodiversity and the degradation of nature.
The official observed that the integrated framework creates a robust platform for addressing the current triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution and waste control.
