By: Prof. Edward Wiafe Debrah Environmentalist and Pro Vice-Chancellor, University of Environment and Sustainable Development
Each year on May 22, the world comes together to celebrate the International Day of Biological Diversity, a moment that underscores the vital role that biodiversity plays in sustaining life on Earth. The 2025 theme, “Harmony with Nature and Sustainable Development” calls for a profound shift in how we perceive and interact with the natural world. It urges us to reflect on our environmental impact and chart a sustainable path forward.
Biodiversity—referring to the variety of life in all its forms, from genes and species to ecosystems—serves as the foundation of our planet’s life support systems. It provides essential services such as food, medicine, clean water, climate regulation, and cultural enrichment. Yet, despite its importance, biodiversity is declining at an unprecedented rate. The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) warns that more than one million species face extinction in the coming decades.
This alarming loss is the result of multiple interconnected threats: habitat destruction, unsustainable exploitation of natural resources, pollution, invasive species, and climate change. These pressures are not only disrupting ecosystems but also eroding the very foundations of human well-being. Biodiversity loss contributes to increased food insecurity, vulnerability to natural disasters, and the emergence of zoonotic diseases. It is clear that our current trajectory is unsustainable and poses existential risks to all life forms.
In light of these challenges, the 2025 theme—’Harmony with Nature’—proposes a transformative vision. Harmony with nature means recognizing that humans are not above or separate from the natural world, but an integral part of it. It involves respecting ecological boundaries, living within planetary limits, and valuing the intrinsic worth of all forms of life. It challenges us to redefine progress not merely as economic growth but as a balanced, inclusive, and regenerative process that supports both people and planet.
This vision is deeply aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 14 (Life Below Water), SDG 15 (Life on Land), and SDG 13 (Climate Action). Biodiversity underpins the entire 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Without healthy ecosystems, efforts to achieve food security, health, clean water, and economic growth will be undermined. Biodiversity must be seen not as a peripheral issue but as central to sustainable development outcomes.
In Ghana, the importance of biodiversity is increasingly being recognized in policy and practice. The implementation of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP), reforestation efforts, campaigns against illegal mining, and protected area management are steps in the right direction. These actions reflect a growing national awareness that environmental degradation must be addressed to secure the country’s long-term development goals.
The University of Environment and Sustainable Development (UESD), as a leading academic institution in Ghana, is playing a key role in this journey. Through its teaching, research, and community engagement programs, UESD is training the next generation of environmental leaders. The university’s curriculum emphasizes systems thinking, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the application of scientific knowledge to real-world sustainability challenges. It serves as a hub for innovation, dialogue, and action towards a nature-positive future.
This year’s celebration of Biodiversity Day also serves as a call to action for individuals, communities, institutions, and governments. Everyone has a role to play in restoring harmony with nature. For policymakers, this means enacting and enforcing laws that protect ecosystems, integrating biodiversity considerations into national planning, and investing in green infrastructure. For businesses, it means adopting sustainable supply chains, reducing ecological footprints, and supporting conservation efforts.
For educators and researchers, it involves expanding environmental literacy, conducting applied biodiversity research, and engaging the public in citizen science. For communities and traditional leaders, it means preserving indigenous knowledge systems, protecting sacred natural sites, and promoting community-based resource management. And for every citizen, it means making daily choices—what we eat, how we travel, how we consume—that reflect care and respect for the Earth.
Biodiversity conservation also presents immense opportunities. Nature-based solutions such as afforestation, agroecology, wetland restoration, and sustainable fisheries offer cost-effective strategies to address climate change, food insecurity, and poverty. They can create jobs, enhance resilience, and revitalize degraded landscapes. By investing in biodiversity, we are investing in a healthier, more equitable, and more prosperous future.
This year, let us also reflect on the spiritual, cultural, and philosophical dimensions of harmony with nature. Across African traditions and cosmologies, nature is revered not only as a resource but as a sacred partner in life’s journey. We must recover and integrate these values into modern environmental governance. True sustainability is not only a technical goal—it is a cultural and moral imperative.
The 2025 International Biodiversity Day theme reminds us that our survival and progress hinge on a renewed relationship with the natural world—one grounded in respect, reciprocity, and responsibility. Harmony with nature is not a utopian idea—it is the foundation of sustainable development and the only viable path forward in an era of ecological crisis.
Let us use this occasion to recommit to bold, inclusive, and coordinated action that protects biodiversity, supports human dignity, and secures a thriving planet for generations to come. At UESD, we stand ready to continue this work with our partners, students, and communities across Ghana and beyond.