Biodiversity – our livelihood

© GIZ/Una Jovovic

Biodiversity – meaning the diversity within species, between species and in ecosystems – is essential for survival.

Aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems are not only habitats for flora and fauna. They are also our insurance against future risks and of great relevance for climate change mitigation and adaptation. Intact ecosystems provide a variety of ecosystem services such as climate regulation, protection against extreme weather events and clean drinking water; they ensure soil fertility and protect against erosion. Nevertheless, biodiversity is declining faster than ever before, and ecosystems are becoming increasingly degraded. The main drivers are land conversion due to agriculture and deforestation, infrastructure development, overexploitation of resources, pollution due to the introduction of toxic substances and nutrients into water and soil, the spread of alien invasive species, and climate change. Biodiversity conservation is vital for a stable environment and human wellbeing and needs to be prioritised as a task for society as a whole and addressed in conjunction with climate change.

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is the binding international legal framework for the conservation of biodiversity. In December 2022, the 196 Parties to the CBD adopted the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) to mitigate biodiversity loss by 2030 and reverse current trends in favour of nature restoration. In addition to four long-term goals to be achieved by 2050, the CBD also set 23 targets for 2030. Key targets include the protection of 30 per cent of the global land and sea area by 2030 while recognising indigenous and ancestral traditional territories, the restoration of 30 per cent of areas of degraded ecosystems, the reduction of pollution and the increased use of biodiversity-friendly practices in agriculture, forestry, aquaculture and fisheries.

On behalf of the German Government, GIZ supports its partner countries in implementing the objectives of the GBF in their national policies, planning and practice.

Services include, for example:

  • Advising and supporting partner countries in the preparation of National Biodiversity Action Plans (NBSAP)
  • Capacity development to support the implementation of national biodiversity targets in specific thematic areas such as protected area management, ecosystem restoration and resource mobilisation
  • Development and implementation of awareness-raising and public relations measures in order to embed the topic systematically in politics and society
  • Promoting cross-institutional and cross-sectoral cooperation in multi-stakeholder partnerships to engage all levels of government and strengthen cooperation with civil society, the private sector and academia in a multi-level approach that takes into account national, regional and local concerns

Additional information

The aim of this guiding framework is to present principles that define professional standards and describe our scope of action as regards the realisation of human rights in the context of biodiversity conservation projects. It is primarily aimed at GIZ employees, but will also provide guidance to sub-contractors (consultants and consulting companies) and the recipients of financial contributions. It will guide GIZ employees and third parties in designing and implementing GIZ projects and will assist them in conducting a more focused assessment of the risks to human rights.