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ARCHIVE: Biodiversity
Information on the old Defra website currently covers the following:
- What is biodiversity?
- What you can do
- What is being done in the UK?
- Action internationally
- Convention on Biological Diversity
- Marine biodiversity
- Genetic resources for food and agriculture
- Contacts
Further information
Biodiversity is life. It is the variety of all life on Earth including all species of animals and plants, and the natural systems that support them.
Biodiversity matters. It is hugely important, not just for its own sake but also because it underpins the vital benefits we get from the natural environment, because it contributes to our economy, our health and wellbeing, and because it enriches our lives.
But human activity is causing the diversity of life on Earth to be lost at a greatly accelerated rate.
10th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP10) – Nagoya, Japan, 18-29 October 2010
The COP10 meeting considered progress towards the 2010 target, a post 2010 biodiversity framework, agreement of an Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) regime, and agreement on resource mobilisation.
Further information...
New agreement reached in Nagoya: statement from Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman (29 October)
International Year of Biodiversity
2010 is the International Year of Biodiversity when everyone will be encouraged to take direct action to reduce the constant loss of biological diversity worldwide.
See our news story and biodiversity calendar.
In this section:
- Learn more about what biodiversity is.
- Find out more about why it is important to conserve biodiversity.
- Find out more about what Defra is doing to conserve biodiversity in the UK and internationally.
- Find out more about what you can do to help.
- The United Nations has designated 2010 as the International Year of Biodiversity. Defra is part-funding a UK partnership for the International Year of hundreds of organisations to promote biodiversity messages to the public. Find out more.
Making Space for Nature
An independent review of England’s wildlife sites and ecological network was launched in September 2009. The review has considered whether England’s collection of wildlife areas (both the legally protected areas and others) represents a coherent and robust ecological network that will be capable of responding to the challenges of climate change and other pressures. The review was chaired by Professor Sir John Lawton who was supported by a panel of 14 members.
The review has reported to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Defra published the Review, called “Making Space for Nature”, on the 24 September 2010.
- Making space for nature (PDF 1.2MB)
The Government will respond to the Making Space for Nature Review in the Natural Environment White Paper which will be published in Spring 2011.
Page last modified: 16 November 2010
Page published: 23 October 2008