International Year of Biodiversity

The United Nations have declared 2010 as the International Year of Biodiversity. Everyone is invited to join the campaign and help safeguard Earth's resources. Biodiversity is the story of life and the systems that support it, where growth and change constantly occur - the fruit of billions of years of evolution. From the depths of the oceans to the very highest mountain peaks, it provides us with all the ingredients necessary to survive: air, water, food, medicine and a host of other essentials we cannot live without. However, biodiversity is being lost at an accelerated rate, so in 1992 our world leaders agreed on a strategy to ensure a healthy planet for future generations. The Convention on Biological Diversity was the result and its mission was to find a way to maintain a balance between the protection of the planet's resources and the rate at which humans economically develop. A target was set to 'significantly reduce' the amount of biodiversity being lost by the end of 2010.