The Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, Astrid Schomaker says Africa is experiencing an outsized share of the global biodiversity crisis, with mounting consequences for food security, livelihoods, water resources and climate resilience.
Speaking at a high-level scientific and policy forum in Nairobi, Ms Schomaker said the continent’s biodiversity decline is having direct and far-reaching effects on millions of people, particularly rural populations, farmers, fishers and communities that depend on forests and other natural resources for survival.
She noted that, for many Africans, the impact of biodiversity loss is already evident through shrinking crop yields, declining fish populations, deteriorating soil quality, contaminated water sources and the disappearance of medicinal plant species.
Biodiversity encompasses the wide range of plants, animals and microorganisms that sustain ecosystems and support human wellbeing. It underpins agricultural production, fisheries, healthcare, clean water supplies, fertile soils, climate regulation and protection against environmental hazards.
Available reports indicate that Africa is home to roughly one-quarter of the world’s biodiversity, including globally important forests, wetlands, grasslands, coastal environments and wildlife ecosystems.
Despite this rich natural heritage, scientific findings show that the continent has lost an estimated 24 per cent of its species since the pre-industrial era.
The decline raises serious concerns because agriculture, forestry, fisheries, tourism and other nature-dependent sectors remain the primary source of income and survival for millions of people across Africa.
Ms Schomaker identified climate change as the leading cause of biodiversity decline, stressing that African countries are among the most exposed to its effects.
She said rising temperatures, prolonged droughts, flooding, desertification and shifting rainfall patterns continue to disrupt ecosystems while reducing agricultural productivity across the continent.
In addition to climate change, she identified invasive species, pollution, deforestation and the unsustainable exploitation of land and water resources as significant drivers of biodiversity loss.
According to her, these pressures are steadily eroding the natural resources that rural and coastal communities depend on for food, livelihoods, clean water and economic wellbeing.
The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has previously warned that global financial investments continue to favour activities that damage nature rather than those that conserve and restore ecosystems.
UN estimates indicate that global spending on activities harmful to nature is approximately 30 times higher than investment in environmental protection and ecosystem restoration.
Africa faces additional challenges because many countries lack the financial and technological capacity required to reverse environmental degradation and safeguard vulnerable ecosystems.
Although the continent contributes only a relatively small share of global greenhouse gas emissions, it continues to experience some of the most severe impacts of climate change and environmental degradation.
Experts have cautioned that continued biodiversity loss could intensify hunger, poverty, migration, unemployment and resource-related conflicts across Africa unless decisive action is taken.
They have therefore urged African governments to mainstream biodiversity conservation into agriculture, infrastructure, mining, energy, trade and broader national development policies.
They also emphasised that closing Africa’s biodiversity financing gap through increased investment will be essential to advancing conservation, ecosystem restoration and sustainable natural resource management.
Ms Schomaker said available scientific evidence had provided a clear understanding of the biodiversity crisis confronting Africa and the rest of the world.
