The United Nations declared 22 May the International Day for Biodiversity. This year's motto is Island Biodiversity. Islands in particular are home to a unique range of flora and fauna species which are at risk. To protect these species the Federal Environment Ministry supports a host of island projects with an overall volume of 100 million euro under the International Climate Initiative.
On islands the loss of species is particularly high. Out of the 724 species which became extinct over the last 400 years, more than half lived in island ecosystems, on island coasts or in neighbouring marine waters. With this years' motto the United Nations intend to draw public awareness to the increasing threat to multiple endemic fauna and flora species on islands. Due to confinement on an island, propagation of these unique and adapted species living in a closely confined space is almost impossible. This makes them especially vulnerable vis-á-vis environmental changes such as invasive species, land conversion, resource exploitation pollution or climate change.
A total of 600 million people live on islands worldwide. The island ecosystems constitute the basis of their livelihoods. One of the Federal Environment Ministry's major goals is thus to support local communities to sustainably use their natural resources, in particular fish.
The International Day for Biodiversity, first celebrated in 2000, also recalls the Biodiversity Convention. In Nairobi on 2 May 1992 the international community agreed on the Convention which is one of the most successful UN Conventions with 193 Parties to the Convention. The common goal is to put a stop to biodiversity loss worldwide by 2020.