Environment Month: we have only "One Earth"!

This day is an opportunity to both celebrate the planet and highlight the perils it faces.

This month of June is an opportunity to mobilize for the planet and for Madagascar. With the national celebration of the World Environment Day on June 10 and 11, 2022 in front of the Hotêl de Ville Analakely, young people will soon gather for a national consultation in preparation for the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
Appointments for a "positive nature" will be planned throughout the month of June.

The World Environment Day, an urgent mobilization necessary!

Day by day, our planet, our environment is subject to a progressive degradation of the ecosystem and the vulnerability of the world to various pressures of anthropogenic nature and the impacts of Climate Change. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has chosen the theme "ONE EARTH", for the 2022 celebration at the global level.
In Madagascar, the reality is unequivocal: soils are severely degraded, pressures due to human activities such as deforestation, pollution, overfishing, climate change, poaching, etc., make biodiversity disappear at an alarming rate. Our environment is at risk and deteriorated in its entirety. That is why Madagascar has chosen the theme "MIHASIMBA NY TANINTSIKA,'NDAO AROVANA".
Recall that globally, nature provides services worth about $125 billion annually, while helping to ensure a supply of fresh air, clean water, food, energy, medicines and other products and materials. (Living Planet Report 2018). Madagascar's biodiversity is at high risk: pressures from human activities such as deforestation, pollution, overfishing, climate change, poaching, etc. are causing biodiversity to disappear at an alarming rate. In Madagascar, due to containment measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, pressures on protected areas are increasing and consequently the rate of environmental crime is rising: bush fires, poaching, corruption for illegal exploitation of natural resources.
Our precious natural ecosystems provide us with so many benefits. And ecosystem degradation is already affecting the well-being of 3.2 billion people, or 40% of the world's population. It impacts the food we produce and the water we drink... our daily lives and our health.
The race is on for a positive world! We must heal and restore our ecosystems.
Together, let's raise our voices and show that Nature Matters, let's stand together and reverse the curve of nature loss!
Let's meet for the national celebration of the World Environment Day on June 10 and 11, 2022 at the square of the Hotêl de Ville Analakely.

A national consultation for the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)

In the midst of the recovery from the health crisis, with an economic crisis looming on the horizon, international environmental negotiations do not excite the general public. Nevertheless, their vocation is to implement policies and actions to preserve and sustainably manage the vital support system of our society. At first sight inaccessible, the negotiations of some conventions are nevertheless open to public participation. Indeed, the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) at its COP 11 formally recognized the importance of the participation of civil society groups and particularly youth in decision-making processes at all levels and encourages their full inclusion in all relevant processes of the implementation of the Convention. As observers, they can freely attend and speak at negotiations, and also advocate their position to the parties to the convention to influence their decisions.
Global Youth Biodiversity Network (GYBN), recognized and supported by the CBD Secretariat, officially represents the voice of the world's youth in the CBD negotiations. GYBN is present in more than 40 countries through its national chapters, including the one in Madagascar: Malagasy YBN which is the second oldest chapter. Negotiations are in full swing on the new Post 2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (Post 2020 GBF) which will define a detailed strategic action plan to reduce the rate of biodiversity loss and transform society's relationship with biodiversity. To bring the voice of youth to these negotiations, GYBN through its national chapters has conducted waves of youth consultations since 2018 to consolidate a youth position on the Post 2020 GBF. Madagascar is not left behind as this June, in preparation for participation in the final negotiations at COP 15, Malagasy YBN will hold a second national youth consultation to establish the youth position. This position will be advocated to national and international decision makers and will feed into the global youth position that will be defended at COP 15. This position will also serve as a reference for youth in Madagascar in their future actions in favor of biodiversity as well as for other actors who want to support them.

Malagasy Youth Biodiversity Network