The Global Biodiversity Crisis and Related Policy Challenge

Ecosystems and their biodiversity underpin the global economy and human well-being, and need to be valued and protected. The world’s ‘natural capital’ is not a luxury for the rich but a necessity for all. The figures speak for themselves: over a billion people in developing countries rely on fish as a major source of food, around 1.1 billion people are dependent on forests for their livelihoods and over half of all commercial medicines derive from natural substances, mostly sourced in rainforests.