Azerbaijan marks World Biodiversity Day

By Azernews

By Laman Ismayilova

Globally, around 25 percent of all animal and plant species are threatened with extinction.

International Day for Biological Diversity (May 22) is celebrated annually to raise awareness on the importance of biodiversity as well as global issues on biodiversity loss.

World Biodiversity Day has a long history behind it. During the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (1992), also know as "The Earth Summit" held in Brazil, state and government leaders agreed on a strategy for sustainable development.

One of the most important agreements reached during the Earth Summit was the Convention on Biological Diversity, which came into force on December 29, 1993.

Azerbaijan joined the Convention on Biodiversity in 2020. Since then, a number of measures have been taken by the state to protect the country's  biodiversity.

As a result, the chain of specially protected natural territories has been expanded.

Moreover, new national parks, state nature reserves have been also created to protect the country's ecosystems.

Absheron National Park, Ag-Gol National Park, Goygol National Park, Hirkan National Park, Shahdag National Park, Shirvan National Park, Zangazur National Park as well as state reserves in Sheki, Gusar, Gabala, Gakh, etc. are among them.

With its unique climate, the country's flora is much richer based on the number of species than that of other republics of the South Caucasus. More than 4,500 species of plants have been grown here.

Azerbaijan has a rich and diverse fauna thanks to the country's nature.

There are nearly 97 species of mammals,357 species of birds,67 species of reptiles and amphibians, 97 species of fish, and over 15 thousand species of invertebrates in Azerbaijan.

The theme of this year's International Day for Biological Diversity (IDB) 2020 is "Our solutions are in nature".

The slogan focuses on hope, solidarity and working together to build a future of life in harmony with nature.