UN warns Africa faces disproportionate biodiversity loss

The United Nations highlighted that Africa, which holds about 25 % of the planet’s biodiversity, has lost roughly 24 % of its species since the pre‑industrial era. Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity Astrid Schomaker told a scientific and policy meeting in Nairobi that climate change is the single biggest driver, compounded by deforestation, pollution, invasive species and over‑exploitation of land and water. The decline threatens food security, clean water, livelihoods of rural and coastal communities, and the continent’s resilience to climate shocks.

Schomaker urged African governments to embed biodiversity conservation into national development plans and called for greater financial support from institutions and the private sector. The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) warned that global spending continues to favor activities that destroy nature, leaving Africa with insufficient resources to address the crisis.