International Day for Biological Diversity: Build Back Diversity
May, 2023 – Celebrated on May 22, this year's International Day for Biological Diversity brings renewed hope. The historic deal that will guide global nature action until 2030 was signed at the end of last year during COP15 (the 15th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity). The theme chosen for 2023 is “From Agreement to Action: Build Back Biodiversity”.
Established by the UN, the International Day for Biological Biodiversity gained global attention through the efforts of governments, Indigenous peoples, and local communities and organizations. It highlights innovative solutions to face the current global biodiversity crisis. Biodiversity refers to the wide variety of plants, animals, and microorganisms.
Natural resources are the pillars of our planet's survival. For example, fisheries account for 20 percent of the animal protein intake of an estimated 3 billion people, and over 80 percent of the human diet is plant-based. At the same time, we are facing the threat of biodiversity loss, with a significant reduction in the number of species.
In Brazil, USAID is strengthening its focus on supporting projects that contribute to biodiversity conservation in the Amazon rainforest and promote sustainable income for traditional communities, including Indigenous and riverine peoples.
Since 2016, USAID/Brazil has promoted the Partnership for the Conservation of Amazon Biodiversity (PCAB), bringing together a wide network of public and private organizations working toward meeting its objectives, including ongoing efforts against climate change.
USAID-supported projects help to protect and improve the management of 47 million hectares of forests in 27 conservation units and 90 Indigenous lands in the Amazon. They provided socioeconomic benefits to approximately 30,000 members of traditional communities, in addition to strengthening sustainable value chains, such as Brazil nuts, açaí, and managed pirarucu.
Learn more about PCAB supported projects that contribute to biodiversity conservation and to socioeconomic improvements.
Project provides income and training opportunities to Indigenous people - The Integrated Environmental and Territorial Management in Eastern Amazon Indigenous Lands project provided new income generation opportunities to about 3,500 Indigenous people. It delivered training to 300 students on collective territorial management actions in a continuous manner. Since 2019, more than 2 million hectares of Indigenous lands have benefited from improved management.
Research shows that the Brazil nut chain has a total turnover of about R$2 billion a year - However, more has to be done to ensure better pay to extractive communities. Brazil produces more than 33,000 tons of Brazil nuts per year, most of which are collected by Indigenous people, traditional communities, and other agroextractive workers in the Amazon.
Territorial program helps to protect 1 million hectares in the Amazon - The Médio Juruá Territory Program (PTMJ) contributes with actions that strengthen the pirarucu production chain, with a total of 140,732 kilograms of pirarucu sold. At the same time, it helps preserve this species.
More information about the International Day for Biological Diversity is available here.
