The United Nations has called for urgent global action to halt and reverse biodiversity loss, warning that climate change, pollution and environmental exploitation are pushing nature towards collapse.

In his message marking the 2026 International Day for Biological Diversity, themed “Acting locally for global impact,” the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, described biodiversity as “the living web that sustains humanity,” but cautioned that the natural world is facing devastating threats with severe consequences for livelihoods and sustainable development.

Guterres said the combined impacts of climate chaos, pollution, and the “relentless exploitation of land, ocean and freshwater” were accelerating environmental degradation worldwide.

He, however, pointed to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework as a roadmap for global action, while stressing the need for stronger commitment and accountability.

“Governments must lead by accelerating implementation, mobilising finance, and closing capacity gaps that hold back progress,” he said.

The UN chief also emphasised that biodiversity protection cannot be left to governments alone, noting that Indigenous Peoples, local communities, women, young people, academia, businesses, cities and regions all have critical roles to play.

According to him, the United Nations is supporting member states through science-based and inclusive initiatives, including updating national biodiversity strategies, restoring ecosystems, expanding protected areas, and integrating nature into sustainable development and climate action plans.

Guterres urged countries and communities to work together to ensure that both people and nature thrive. “On this International Day for Biological Diversity, let us champion those acting locally for global impact and work together to halt and reverse biodiversity loss, so people and nature flourish together,” he said.

As Nigeria’s biodiversity faces mounting threats, the Nigeria Conservation Foundation (NCF) also called on governments, communities, businesses and citizens to translate global commitments into concrete local action.

Nigeria is one of Africa’s most biodiverse nations, with savannas, montane forests, rainforests, freshwater swamps, floodplains, and coastal and marine ecosystems supporting nearly 8,000 plant species across 338 families and more than 22,000 animal species, including insects, fish, birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians.

Nigeria is ranked 36th globally in biodiversity richness, with especially high diversity in birds, mammals and vascular plants.

However, this natural wealth is disappearing at an alarming rate. Nigeria has one of the world’s highest deforestation rates, with more than 90 per cent of its original forest cover already lost.

Habitat fragmentation, climate change, overexploitation, pollution from oil spills and gas flaring, and invasive alien species continue to drive species decline and ecosystem degradation.
Illegal and unsustainable wildlife hunting and exploitation, often facilitated through social media and informal markets, are also undermining conservation gains.

Nigeria’s revised National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) aligns with the 23 global targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and commits the country to halting biodiversity loss by 2030 through effective management of high-priority areas and the protection of at least 30 per cent of land, inland waters, and coastal and marine habitats.

The plan also addresses direct drivers of biodiversity loss such as unsustainable harvesting, pollution and invasive species, while prioritising ecosystem restoration, improved ecosystem services, and the integration of biodiversity considerations into development planning and budgeting across sectors.

It further promotes sustainable resource use in agriculture, fisheries and forestry; establishes frameworks for fair access and benefit-sharing of genetic resources and traditional knowledge; strengthens science, monitoring and data systems; expands education and public awareness; and outlines pathways for mobilising national, private and international finance to bridge the implementation gap.

Director-General of the Nigeria Conservation Foundation, Joseph Onoja, said biodiversity loss is already affecting communities and livelihoods across the country. “Biodiversity loss is not an abstract global problem. It is happening in our forests, wetlands, and communities, and it affects food security, water, health, and livelihoods,” Onoja said.

“WBD 2026 is a reminder that global targets are only achieved when local actors take responsibility,” he said. “The Kunming-Montreal Framework gives us the roadmap. The National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan gives us the plan. What we need now is execution at the local level, where ecosystems are managed, and communities live.”