On 20 December 2013 at the 68th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), March 3 was declared United Nations World Wildlife Day (WWD).
This day holds significance as the day that the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) was signed in 1973. The UNGA Resolution designated the CITES Secretariat as the facilitator for the global observance of this special day for wildlife on the UN calendar. UN World Wildlife Day has now become the global annual event dedicated to wildlife.
People everywhere rely on wildlife and biodiversity-based resources to meet our needs - from food, to fuel, medicines, housing, and clothing. For us to enjoy the benefits and the beauty that nature brings us and our planet, people have been working together to make sure ecosystems are able to thrive and plant and animal species are able to exist for future generations. So, let’s celebrate wildlife and the important conservation work being done around the world!
“Connecting People and Planet: Exploring Digital Innovation in Wildlife Conservation”
For World Wildlife Day 2024, we are exploring digital innovation and highlighting how digital conservation technologies and services can drive wildlife conservation, sustainable and legal wildlife trade and human-wildlife coexistence, now and for future generations in an increasingly connected world.
We are in the midst of a global digital revolution that is breaking down barriers to people-centered digital governance and to equal opportunities for all to unleash the power of digital transformation. The ‘digital divide’ is slowly narrowing, with better connectivity and Internet access reaching 66 per cent of our global population. However, around 2.7 billion people of our global population are still not online. On average, only 36 per cent of the populations in the least developed countries and landlocked developing countries are online. Women and young people are more likely to experience gaps in Internet access and/or job-ready digital skills.
Technological innovation has made research, communication, tracking, DNA analysis and many other aspects of wildlife conservation easier, more efficient and accurate. Yet, uneven access to these new tools, environmental pollution and unsustainable applications of certain technologies remain critical issues for achieving universal digital inclusion by 2030.
World Wildlife Day 2024 is a platform for intergenerational exchange and youth empowerment through art, presentations and conversations on the opportunities ahead for our shared sustainable future in digital wildlife conservation. WWD2024 offers a jumping off point for exploring what digital innovations are available now, what intersectional discrepancies we are facing and how we want our digital connectivity to evolve for all people and planet.
World Wildlife Day is for connecting people with the natural world and inspiring continued learning and action for animals and plants beyond the day.
I asked the leaf whether it was frightened because it was autumn, and the other leaves were falling. The leaf told me, “No. During the whole spring and summer, I was completely alive. I worked hard to help nourish the tree, and now much of me is in the tree. I am not limited by this form. I am also the whole tree, and when I go back to the soil, I will continue to nourish the tree. So, I don’t worry at all. As I leave this branch and float to the ground, I will wave to the tree and tell her, ‘I will see you again very soon.’” That day there was a wind blowing and, after a while, I saw the leaf leave the branch and float down to the soil, dancing joyfully, because as it floated it saw itself already there in the tree. It was so happy. I bowed my head, knowing that I have a lot to learn from that leaf. |
Planet Crunch by Richard Brock
THE LIFE (OR DEATH?) OF PLANET EARTH
This book and the three films are dedicated, with much gratitude, to my mother, Eileen, and my sister, Cherry, who helped them happen in our efforts to survive the crunch of planet Earth.
I’ve made (100) films on such subjects (“Wildlife Winners and Losers – How to turn losers into winners”) for YouTube and Vimeo. I wouldn’t say I’ve become an expert on such green issues, but what I have really noticed is the way such subjects have moved from small items on inside pages to front page displays. Some of the content may contain errors.
In my long career (35 years) at the BBC Natural History Unit in Bristol, often filming with
David Attenborough – on Life on Earth, The Living Planet and much else, the golden rule was “balance”. Increasingly this has turned out to be very difficult to achieve. My own view comes from many years (81!) of loving wildlife and being able to help it via television. It’s now clear that nature, indeed the whole planet, is in peril. So I have written this book to provide a lighter, more refreshing perspective.
This 150-page paperback book is part of an ambitious project that draws attention to the challenges we all face; especially involving biodiversity. You can watch the three accompanying 25 minute films on YouTube and Vimeo.
An eBook version is available to all for FREE here!
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