Africa: Africans Bear the Brunt of Biodiversity Loss

What the report says

The UN’s biodiversity chief warned at a scientific meeting in Nairobi that Africa is bearing a disproportionate share of the world’s biodiversity decline, with communities already seeing weaker harvests, reduced fish stocks and pressure on water supplies and livelihoods. The remarks, reported by UN News and distributed by AllAfrica, came as negotiators met in Nairobi to discuss how to turn scientific findings into policy and funding measures.

Astrid Schomaker, executive secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity, said biodiversity underpins food production, clean water, climate resilience and other basic needs. The report said Africa holds about a quarter of the world’s biodiversity but has also lost a significant share of its species since the pre-industrial era. It noted that climate change is described as the biggest driver, alongside invasive species, pollution and the overuse of land and water.

The article also highlighted a funding gap: global spending still heavily favors activities that damage nature rather than protect it, while African countries often lack the resources needed to respond. According to the report, talks in Nairobi are focused on integrating biodiversity into national decision-making, involving financial institutions and finding money to close the gap.

The discussion is expected to feed into COP17 of the Biodiversity Convention, due to open in October in Yerevan, Armenia, where countries will review progress under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. The broader context, beyond the report, is that biodiversity loss is increasingly treated as a development issue because it affects food security, health and climate resilience.