** Emergency biodiversity: COP 16 in Rome, a new chapter in the fight for the planet **
Biodiversity is one of the essential pillars of the health of our planet, affecting not only ecosystems, but also economies and human societies. However, this fragile balance is in danger. The recent session of COP 16 in Rome, which follows the failure of its predecessor to Cali, highlights crucial issues that deserve renewed attention.
### A previous failure with heavy consequences
COP 15 in Cali, which was held in 2023, had aroused considerable hopes for strengthening international commitment to the preservation of protected areas. However, the result was quite different. The delegates came up against divergences on the financing of these crucial areas, leaving the international community in the expectation. Indeed, according to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the loss of biodiversity could cost up to 10 % of world GDP by 2050 if no action is undertaken.
### COP 16: a catch -up session
Four months after this resounding failure, the international community met in Rome to try to find common ground. From this meeting, it is imperative to understand that time is running out. The collapse of ecosystems, accelerated by climate change, pollution, and the destruction of natural habitats, is an alarming reality. Philippe Grandcolas, Deputy Deputy Director of National Scientific for Ecology and the Environment at the CNRS, raises an essential point: “It is not simply a question of preserving the wild beauty of the planet, but of guaranteeing our own survival. »»
### to a holistic approach: to combine biodiversity and economy
What makes this COP 16 session unique is its potentially integrative approach. Indeed, biodiversity should not be exclusively considered as an environmental issue, but also as an economic factor. Several studies indicate that protecting biodiversity can generate significant economic-ecological feedback. For example, the Global Biodiversity Outlook 5 (GBO5) argues that the restoration of ecosystems could generate between 7 and 30 dollars for each dollar invested.
Such an approach could encourage governments to reassess their finance priorities, considering biodiversity no longer as a cost, but as an essential resource for our sustainable prosperity. The financing of the protected areas, which COP 15 has so much struggled to establish, could thus be integrated into national budgets with positive spinoffs on communities and the local economy.
### The “natural capital” model: a key for the future
An angle interested in exploring within the framework of this COP 16 is that of the concept of natural capital. This economic model, which quantifies the services that nature provides to humanity – such as the pollination of cultures, the regulation of water and the storage of carbon – could transform our understanding and our approach to biodiversity. By assessing these services, it becomes obvious that the destruction of habitats has heavily felt economic costs.
A World Bank study has revealed that deforestation causes direct and indirect economic losses that may reach hundreds of billions of dollars a year. This demonstrates the urgency of creating a synergy between the protection of biodiversity and economic policies.
### Citizen participation: a necessary factor
Finally, the question of citizen participation is imperative within the framework of this struggle for biodiversity. In Rome, it is crucial that government representatives and NGOs are considering methods of public engagement. Local communities, often the real goalkeepers of biodiversity, must be integrated into the decision -making process, with the means of action and support to protect their natural environments.
Successful initiatives, such as payment programs for ecosystem services, show that citizens can play a major role in the sustainable management of natural resources when they are properly encouraged.
### Conclusion: the time of action has arrived
While COP 16 takes place in a context of increasing concerns on the collapse of biodiversity, it is imperative that countries around the world act with cooperation, innovation and determination. The future of our planet and its rich range of life forms depends on our ability to integrate biodiversity into our economic policies, to mobilize adequate finances and to undertake a real collaboration with local actors.
In short, Rome can be the place where hope is reborn, provided that the actors really engage in a shared and actuable vision. It is no longer simply a catch -up session, but a decisive turning point for humanity and our planet.