Cities celebrate biodiversity day
In 2007, the world became essentially an urban planet with majority of its population living in cities. The impact of cities on biodiversity is constantly increasing which in turn increases their responsibilities to protect and conserve their surroundings. Cities must be on board if we want to make a difference for biodiversity.
The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has released a video on the initiatives for the International Year of Biological Diversity carried out by several cities within the Global Partnership for Cities and Biodiversity launched last year. The celebrations are a great opportunity for local governments to inform their citizens about biodiversity and in particular about Invasive Alien Species, the main theme of the International Year for Biological Diversity 2009.
Invasive Alien Species are plants, animals and other organisms that are non-native to an ecosystem. They represent the third biggest cause of biodiversity loss, as they can out-compete native organisms for food and habitat and thus cause their extinction. It is estimated that at least 10-15% of invasive species have a negative economic or ecological impact. Increased measures are needed to regulate the spread of these species and ensure ecosystems are healthy.
Cities have a role to play in curbing the spread of invasive species by designing local landscapes to accommodate native species. Also, citizens can select native ornamental plants, control the spread of exotic plants, not allow exotic pets to escape, and follow biosafety rules when traveling to halt the spread of invasive species.
A brochure listing the activities organized by the cities of the Global Partnership for Cities and Biodiversity can be found here. Let us know what your local government has organized for this year’s celebrations!
