Global environmental leaders gather Monday in Cali, Colombia to assess the world香蕉视频直播檚 plummeting biodiversity levels and commitments by countries to protect plants, animals and critical habitats.

The two-week United Nations Biodiversity Conference, or COP16, is a follow-up to the 2022 Montreal meetings where 196 countries signed a historic global treaty to protect biodiversity.

The accord includes 23 measures to halt and reverse nature loss, including putting 30% of the planet and 30% of degraded ecosystems under protection by 2030.

香蕉视频直播淲e hope that (COP16) will be an opportunity for countries to get to work and focus on implementation, monitoring and compliance mechanisms that then have to be developed in their countries and in their national plans,香蕉视频直播� said Laura Rico, campaign director at Avaaz, a global activism nonprofit.

A real threat to biodiversity loss

All evidence shows dramatic decline in species abundance and distribution, said Linda Krueger, director of biodiversity at The Nature Conservancy.

香蕉视频直播淎 lot of wild species have less room to live, and they香蕉视频直播檙e declining in numbers,香蕉视频直播� Krueger said. 香蕉视频直播淎nd we also see rising extinction rates. Things that we haven香蕉视频直播檛 even discovered yet are blinking out.香蕉视频直播�

The world is experiencing its largest loss of life since the dinosaurs, with around 1 million plant and animal species now threatened with extinction, according to the United Nations Environment Programme.

In the Amazon rainforest, threats to biodiversity include the expansion of the agricultural frontier and road networks, deforestation, forest fires and drought, says Andrew Miller, advocacy director at Amazon Watch, an organization that protects the rainforest.

香蕉视频直播淵ou put all of that together and it香蕉视频直播檚 a real threat to biodiversity,香蕉视频直播� Miller said.

Global wildlife populations have plunged on average by 73% in 50 years, according to the WWF and the Zoological Society of London biennial Living Planet report this month.

The report said Latin America and the Caribbean saw 95% average declines in recorded wildlife populations.

Indigenous communities key to biodiversity protection

Indigenous people are on the front lines of protecting biodiversity and fighting against climate change, putting their lives at great risk, said Miller of Amazon Watch.

香蕉视频直播淎 lot of discourse has been given about the voices of local communities 香蕉视频直播� Indigenous peoples really playing a key role,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淪o that香蕉视频直播檚 one of the things that we香蕉视频直播檒l be looking for at COP16.香蕉视频直播�

Indigenous peoples hold the solutions to combat the climate change and biodiversity crises, Rico said.

香蕉视频直播淭hey香蕉视频直播檙e who have been taking care of the land, healing the land through their governance systems, their care systems and their ways of life,香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淪o 香蕉视频直播� it香蕉视频直播檚 fundamental that the COP recognizes, promotes and encourages the legalization of their territories.香蕉视频直播�

In Colombia香蕉视频直播檚 capital, Bogota, the head of an Amazon Indigenous organization said the region香蕉视频直播檚 Indigenous people have been preparing for months for COP16.

香蕉视频直播淭his is a great opportunity to make the impact that we need to demonstrate to all the actors that come from other countries the importance of Indigenous peoples for the world,香蕉视频直播� said Jose Mendez, secretary of the National Organization of the Indigenous Peoples of the Amazon.

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 no secret to anyone that we 香蕉视频直播� are at risk right now,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淭he effects that we are currently experiencing due to climate change, the droughts that the country is experiencing, the Amazon River has never gone through a drought like the current one. 香蕉视频直播� This is causing many species to become extinct.香蕉视频直播�

Nature can recover

Colombia香蕉视频直播檚 environment minister Susana Muhamad, who is presiding over COP16, told local media this month that one of the conference香蕉视频直播檚 main objectives is to deliver the message that 香蕉视频直播渂iodiversity is as important, complementary and indispensable as the energy transition and decarbonization.香蕉视频直播�

Part of Colombia香蕉视频直播檚 first ever leftist government, Muhamad cautioned last year香蕉视频直播檚 World Economic Forum about the risks of continuing an extractive economy that ignores the social and environmental consequences of natural resource exploitation.

Since the 2022 Montreal conference, 香蕉视频直播減rogress has been too slow香蕉视频直播�, says Eva Zabey, executive director of the coalition Business for Nature.

香蕉视频直播淭here香蕉视频直播檚 been some progress,香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淏ut the headline message is the implementation of the global biodiversity framework is too slow and we need to scale and speed up.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淐OP16 comes at an absolutely critical moment for us to move from targets setting to real actions on the ground,香蕉视频直播� Zabey said.

Although biodiversity declines are grim, some environmentalists believe a reversal is possible. 香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檝e had some very successful species reintroductions and we香蕉视频直播檝e saved species when we really focus on what is causing their decline,香蕉视频直播� said The Nature Conservancy香蕉视频直播檚 Krueger.