Press Release

Theme for International Biodiversity Day announced World community urged to protect biodiversity in deserts.

Montreal, 9 January 2006 – Reflecting that 2006 has been declared the United Nations International Year for Deserts and Desertification, the Convention on Biological Diversity announced today that the theme for the International Day for Biological Diversity, 22 May 2006 is “Protecting Biodiversity in Drylands.” <br><br> “Almost half of the land surface of the earth is drylands if we include grasslands and all arid regions,” said Mr. Djoghlaf, Executive Secretary to the Convention. “One in six people depends on these fragile ecosystems for their survival,” said Mr. Djoghlaf. “These are the poorest of the poor and any further degradation of the biodiversity of drylands will lead to increased poverty.”

Publication Date
2006-01-09