Build Back Biodiversity

22 May is World Biodiversity Day and Nature Conservation Day in Croatia

As every year, the Public Institute of Krka National Park conducts a series of activities on this date to highlight the importance of conserving biodiversity. This year, we spent the day visiting the Kistanje Primary School, where we handed out seedlings of European nettle tree and holm oak to plant around their school, and bird feeders that the children can paint and hang on the school trees.

The development of educational programmes, workshops and celebrations of important dates in nature conservation are just some of the activities the Public Institute of Krka National Park performs continuously and with great effort and enthusiasm. Park staff take part to pass on their knowledge and love of nature to children in an interactive, fun and interesting way, while also imprinting awareness about the importance of caring for our environment.

Biological diversity includes diversity within species, among species, and among ecosystems. However, biodiversity is best understood and experienced not with definitions, but in nature. Due to its specific geographic position, Croatia is one of the most biodiverse countries in Europe. Thanks to its position at the meeting point of the continental and Mediterranean climate, and the high number of different habitats, the Krka River area abounds in diverse and interesting plant and animal life, and a fascinating subterranean world in the many pits and caves.

This year, International Biological Diversity Day is celebrated under the slogan From agreement to action: build back biodiversity. Despite all our technological progress, we still continue to be completely dependent on healthy and diverse ecosystems for our water, food, medicines, clothing, fuel and energy. In 2022, the Global Biodiversity Framework was signed in Kunming and Montreal, setting targets and specific measures to halt and turn around the loss of biodiversity to 2050. The slogan promotes the idea that now that we have an action plan, agreed at the global level, it is the time to act to implement all the measures envisaged by the agreement by 2030. Only in this way can we achieve protected and sustainable biological diversity by 2050. This is the main message of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the key international instrument for sustainable development.

The United Nations proclaimed 22 May as International Biodiversity Day to highlight biodiversity as a global value of immeasurable value for current and future generations. In addition to celebrating International Biodiversity Day, on the same date the Republic of Croatia also celebrates Nature Conservation Day, made formal by the Nature Protection Act that was proclaimed by the Croatian Parliament in 2003. On this day every year, a wide range of educational, recreational, professional and other activities are organised by the line ministry, public institutions managing protected areas and natural values, many societies, and other stakeholders.