(Commonwealth)_ Organizing the recent Regional Dialogue on the updating and Revision of Regional and National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans in Cape Town, South Africa, on behalf of the Commonwealth Secretariat was a timely and extremely significant experience. What began as a small-scale, strategic consultation among the Commonwealth, the Southern African Development Community (SADC), and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has developed into a powerful partnership. This year, this initiative is honored to include the East African Community (EAC), the UN Environmental Programme (UNEP), and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in its demonstration of the power of vision and partnership.
The Commonwealth has given a very high priority to environmental sustainability. This has been borne out ever since the Langkawi Declaration on the Environment in 1989, nearly three years prior to the historic 1992 Earth Summit that resulted in the three Rio Conventions. Today, as a family of 56 nations, the Commonwealth is home to five of the megadiverse countries of the world, and among them is South Africa, our host of the recent dialogue. Throughout our member states is a tremendous richness of biodiversity. These environments, with their high levels of plant and animal diversity, are fundamental for livelihoods, culture, economic growth, recreation, and public health. However, the loss of these environments is occurring at an alarming pace. The World Wildlife Fund’s 2024 Living Planet Report shows a 76 percent decrease in species being tracked throughout Africa. Globally, every year, the world loses three times the size of Lesotho in forest cover. Moreover, experts estimate the disappearance of between 200 and 2,000 species annually.
This degradation of biodiversity is occurring simultaneously with the growing impacts of climate change, such as prolonged droughts, severe flooding, and heightened pest infestations—each of which is on the rise in terms of frequency and scale. These environmental stresses are severely affecting food security, water supplies, and public health in the majority of Commonwealth states. In sub-Saharan Africa alone, we’ve seen how countries like Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Mozambique, and Kenya have been affected by these crises and show the imperative of urgent and concerted action.
The Commonwealth leadership was fully cognizant of this deterioration at the 2022 Heads of Government Meeting in Rwanda. There, the member states identified the interconnected dangers of land degradation, loss of biodiversity, and climate change. In response, they embraced the Commonwealth Living Lands Charter, meant to spur land management that is sustainable and enhance biodiversity conservation. The Charter is a complement to the existing Commonwealth Blue Charter, which supports work on marine biodiversity and promotes a blue economy that is sustainable. Both charters reveal a comprehensive strategy for the conservation of marine and land ecosystems.
Biodiversity plays a significant role in ensuring resilience to climate change. Resilient ecosystems allow for adaptation and mitigation of the effects of climate change, thereby leading to sustainable development and long-term community resilience. Biodiversity is not only a necessity for environmental needs, but it is also significant to economic and social well-being.
The Cape Town dialogue was an extremely effective platform for countries to learn from the experiences of others, discover common obstacles, and come together to devise working solutions. Such forums hold promise in a world characterized by global geopolitics and diminishing natural resources. They reemphasize working more efficaciously, better, and together. Nearly 200 nations agreed to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, providing a uniform line of action to tackle the crisis. But with 2030 already close at hand, the world cannot afford any delay. The nations must now translate these frameworks into tangible plans with quantifiable results.
The Commonwealth Secretariat remains committed to perpetuating this work of transformation. By the delivery of technical support, facilities, and its convening power, the Secretariat aims to deepen partnerships and drive impactful change. This modest conversation between three has mushroomed into an expansive partnership, showing that great change begins with purpose, engagement, and resolve. The time is now to act resolutely and together, for our world’s future and for generations to come.
