The Living Diversity of Earth: Why May 22 Is One of the Most Important Days of the Year

What biodiversity is — and why it is disappearing

Biological diversity — or biodiversity — encompasses all forms of life on Earth: from bacteria in the soil to blue whales in the ocean, from mountain forests to coral reefs. It operates across three levels: the diversity of species, the genetic diversity within each species, and the diversity of ecosystems.

Today, scientists are recording unprecedented rates of biodiversity loss. According to UN estimates, species are currently disappearing at a rate tens to hundreds of times higher than the natural background level. Around one million species of plants and animals face extinction — many of them within just a few decades.

The main drivers of this crisis are well known: destruction of natural habitats, intensive agriculture, pollution of waterways and soils, invasive species, and climate change. All of these are consequences of human activity — which means it is humanity that bears the responsibility for changing course.

The history of the day: from Nairobi to the present

The International Day for Biological Diversity was established by resolution of the United Nations General Assembly. It was originally observed on December 29 — the date the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) entered into force, following its signing at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. In 2000, the date was moved to May 22 — the day the text of the Convention was adopted at the Nairobi Conference in 1992.

The Convention on Biological Diversity was among the first international agreements to recognise the conservation of biodiversity not merely as an environmental priority, but as a political, economic, and cultural one. Today, nearly every nation in the world is a party to it.

The 2025 theme: harmony with nature and sustainable development

Each year, the International Day for Biological Diversity is anchored by a specific theme. The 2025 theme continues the global commitment to implementing the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, adopted in 2022. Its central target — protecting at least 30% of the world's land and 30% of its marine areas by 2030 — has become known as the "30×30" principle.

This is an ambitious goal that requires coordinated efforts from governments, businesses, the scientific community, and civil society. A core principle underpinning it is the recognition that nature conservation and sustainable development are not opposing forces, but interdependent aims.

Biodiversity and cultural heritage: the connection we tend to overlook

Dolphin Hub, as the platform of United Heritage, views biodiversity not only through an ecological lens, but through a cultural one. This matters: many of the world's indigenous and traditional communities have shaped their languages, rituals, architecture, and ways of life in direct dialogue with specific ecosystems. The destruction of an ecosystem is also the destruction of part of humanity's cultural memory.

Folk names for plants and animals, traditional agricultural practices, rituals tied to the seasonal rhythms of nature — all of these form part of intangible cultural heritage. Preserving biodiversity and preserving cultural diversity are, in this sense, inseparable processes.

• More than 80% of the planet's biodiversity is concentrated in territories traditionally managed by indigenous peoples.
• Over 50,000 plant species are used in traditional medicine around the world.
• Many of the world's languages carry unique ecological knowledge that has never been recorded in scientific literature.

What each of us can do

The scale of the problem can feel overwhelming. But change begins with concrete action — at the level of personal choice, community, and region.

At the level of personal decisions

Mindful consumption, avoiding products whose production destroys ecosystems, supporting local producers, and caring for urban nature all make a difference. Every garden planted with pollinator-friendly species becomes a fragment of a living corridor for bees and butterflies.

At the community level

Participating in citizen science, supporting protected natural areas, and working to educate children and young people builds a culture of responsible stewardship. Dolphin Hub creates space for exactly these kinds of initiatives — bringing together people who care about the heritage of the planet.

At the level of decision-making

Supporting environmental legislation, engaging in public consultations on urban planning and conservation issues, and entering into dialogue with businesses about responsible land use — these are the instruments of systemic change.

The future we are building together

Biodiversity is not a museum exhibit or an abstract indicator in scientific reports. It is a living system on which the quality of the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat directly depends. It is our resilience against disease, epidemics, and climate stress.

May 22 is an invitation to reflect: what legacy are we passing on to the next generation? United Heritage and the Dolphin Hub platform hold a firm conviction: true heritage is not only the monuments we build. It is the living forests, the clean rivers, the migrating birds, and the flowering meadows. It is the diversity of life that makes our planet a home.