SDGs dependent on addressing biodiversity conservation, natural resource management —Environment Minister

FOR the Sustainable Development Goals to be achieved, efforts must be geared towards addressing biodiversity conservation and natural resource management.

This was stated by the Federal Minister of State for Environment, Alhaji Ibrahim Usman Jibril at the fifth session of the General Assembly of the Network of Man and Biosphere Reserves (AfriMAB) held at the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Ibadan, recently.

According to the minister, biodiversity is vital for human wellbeing since it underpins a wide range of ecosystem services on which life depends.

He said that millions of people, including many of the poorest, rely directly on diverse species of plants and animals for their livelihood and often for their survival.

He therefore pointed out that “In order to achieve the goal of sustainable and efficient use of biological diversity, the local communities must be part of the development process. This is due to the fact that their livelihood depends largely on natural assets. The mitigation of local communities will help in achieving the overall goal of environmental sustainability.

“In order to ensure safe environment that offers sustainable opportunities to the developmental demand of the growing human population, the role of key actors is most critical especially in developing workable strategies to achieve the stated development goals.”

Explaining further Jubril said that the vision of the UNESCO Man and Biosphere programme was for relevant actors associated with development agenda to focus on creating a world where people are conscious of their common future and interaction with the Earth, and having collective responsibility to build societies in harmony with the biosphere.

Jubril stated that the Federal Government was “in full support of increasing the number of biospheres in Nigeria,” pointing out that “two national sites and two trans-boundary areas between Nigeria and Cameroun have been proposed by the Man and the Biosphere Programme International Co-ordinating Council (MAB-ICC) to become biosphere reserves.”

 

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