At COP17 in Armenia, countries will for the first time review their progress in implementing the UN Global Biodiversity Framework. Five researchers from Lund University who are attending the conference highlight key challenges related to water, agriculture, human rights and the difficulties of turning the global targets into practical action.
The overarching goal of the UN Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) until 2030 is to halt and reverse biodiversity loss. Among its targets are protecting at least 30 per cent of the Earth's land, freshwater and marine areas, and restoring 30 per cent of all degraded ecosystems.
"Water issues are central to COP17 because changes in water availability and quality are creating new conditions for many species and ecosystems. To achieve the targets on restoration, inland waters, and sustainable land and water use, we need to understand how water moves through different landscapes and use that knowledge when planning conservation measures," says Linus Zhang, a researcher in hydrology and integrated water resources management at Lund University.
He is one of five Lund University researchers who will be attending the negotiations in Yerevan, Armenia, from 19 to 30 October.
Protecting forests is crucial
Linus Zhang emphasises the importance of restoring wetlands and waterways, while also safeguarding aquatic environments that are still functioning well in order to preserve biodiversity.
His views are shared by Nitin Chaudhary, a physical geographer who, in addition to restoring wetlands, welcomes the framework's targets on protecting important ecosystems and restoring degraded or damaged nature.
"When it comes to forests, we should protect old-growth forests, stop deforestation, and avoid fragmenting large forest areas into smaller isolated patches. We should also promote forest restoration that benefits native species and diverse ecosystems," says Nitin Chaudhary, a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, who is also travelling to Armenia.
Perennial crops could help protect the oceans
Lennart Olsson, professor of geography at Lund University, will also attend COP17. He points out that agriculture is the sector with the greatest impact on biodiversity and is also the largest source of nutrient pollution in lakes and oceans.
Today, there are more than 400 dead zones around the world, where oxygen levels are so low that many fish, crustaceans and other marine organisms cannot survive. The Baltic Sea contains the largest of these areas.
"Although we have made major progress since the problem first gained attention in the 1970s and 1980s, we have not managed to solve it, despite improved wastewater treatment plants and better agricultural practices. One solution is to cultivate perennial crops, which can prevent soil erosion, surface runoff and nutrient leakage," says Lennart Olsson.
Human rights are a central part of protecting biodiversity
Claudia Ituarte-Lima, senior researcher in environmental and human rights law at the affiliated Raoul Wallenberg Institute and member of the Lund University Profile Areas on Human rights and Nature-based Solutions, will support Armenia's Ministry of Environment during COP17 by providing legal and policy-related advice.
According to Claudia Ituarte-Lima, a critical task is to better connect biodiversity efforts with human rights law. Today, these issues are often treated separately under different frameworks and regulatory systems. Greater attention to environmental democracy, legislation and solidarity, she argues, would help achieving GBF Target 22 on access to information, public participation, access to justice and environmental human rights defenders and Target 23 on gender equality while also catalysing collective action for Earth stewardship more broadly.
"Strengthened rights for environmental human rights defenders benefit everyone: from students on Pacific islands using the law to advance change, to older people advocating for future generations, and indigenous peoples and local communities who depend directly on ecosystems," says Claudia Ituarte-Lima.
The framework highlights both strengths and weaknesses
Alison O'Reilly, a postdoctoral researcher in environmental science at Lund University, has worked with Ireland to evaluate how well the country is meeting the framework's targets. Rather than emphasising any single priority area, she stresses the importance of countries agreeing on a common global framework.
"The framework's power lies in its ability to reveal both strengths and challenges at a global level. If many countries are struggling with the same issues, such as phasing out environmentally harmful subsidies or creating incentives for private investment in biodiversity, it can help foster stronger international cooperation," says Alison O'Reilly at the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences.
At the same time, she notes that many countries face challenges in translating the framework into a national context. Each country must identify the appropriate data, institutions and experts needed to compile the required reporting information. In some cases, actions already taken at EU or national level cannot simply be counted toward the framework's targets.
"Authorities, businesses and experts need to work more closely together"
A global review is important - but it must also identify what is working, what is missing, and what measures are needed to ensure the goals have real impact. All five researchers agree on this point.
"To effectively monitor progress, government agencies, businesses and experts need to work more closely together. Different models and indicators must be integrated to understand the impacts of measures such as ecosystem restoration. Adequate financial resources must also be allocated so that the necessary actions can be implemented," Linus Zhang concludes.
About COP17: The UN Biodiversity Conference
The Conference of the Parties (COP) to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity is held every two years. This year's meeting is the 17th session.
About the Global Biodiversity Framework
The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) was adopted in 2022 under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity. The agreement was adopted at COP15 in Montreal, Canada.
