Convention on Biological Diversity – CBD 

1. What is the Convention on Biological Diversity :

In 1992, Governments, indigenous groups and NGOs from around the world gathered

in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil to talks about the environment.

The Rio Earth Summit was the largest international environmental meeting ever.

At the meeting, world leaders agreed that it was important to protect the environment for all people, including future generations.

The CBD is an agreement between countries based on natural and biological resources.

CBD has three main goals

• To protect biodiversity
• To use biodiversity without destroying it
• To share benefits from genetic diversity equally

Three Conventions emerged from the Rio Earth Summit:

• The convention of biological diversity – CBD
• The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change- UNFCC
• The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification – UNCCD

2. How does the CBD work :

• 189 Countries + European Community = to 190 Parties/ Countries have joined the CBD
• Objectives of the CBD:
• Conservations of biological diversity
• Sustainable use of its components
• Fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources
• Appropriate transfer of relevant technologies
• Taking into account all rights over those resources and to technologies and by appropriate funding

What is bio diversity

Biodiversity is another name for Web of Life. Biodiversity is the variety of life on Earth at each of the genetic, species and eco system levels and the relationships between them.

Following are the four “R”s to protect biodiversity:

Re-Think, Reduce, Re- Use, Re- Cycle