Time to protect nature is now

Through our uncontrolled activities we have desecrated the forests and made many animal and plant species vulnerable, extinct or almost extinct.

Although the natural environment has been bequeathed to us to nurture or tend, greed and indiscipline have made us to exploit the earth’s resources with careless abandon, oblivious of the fact that our continuous existence on the planet earth is dependent on the fauna and flora in the wild that we erroneously think do not belong to anybody.

Climate change, desertification and floods, are just few of the results of our destruction of the resources of the earth.

Indeed, human activities have devastated our wildlife.

Pollution, climate chaos, habitat loss, and exploitation of nature, have pushed a million plant and animal species to the brink of extinction.

This is also a direct threat to the health and livelihoods of billions of people around the world, particularly the most vulnerable.

We are, however, pleased that having realised the harm that we have already caused ourselves, attempts are being made to correct our mistakes by preserving what we have left of the earth’s gifts to us.

One of the ways we are doing this is through the commemoration of days such as World Wildlife Day, which has been marked since 2008, to drum home the importance of protecting what is left of the world’s wildlife consisting of animals and plants.

This year, the commemoration, which annually falls on March 3, was on the theme: “Connecting People and Planet: Exploring Digital Innovation in Wildlife Conservation.”

The lead organiser of the commemoration, the United Nations, says the theme was chosen to celebrate healthy ecosystems and rich biodiversity, through showcasing how vital they are for the survival and connection of humans, animals, and plants.

It also pushes for human ingenuity to help save the environment and, by extension, the world.

As alluded to by the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, in his message to mark the day, “When used responsibly, sustainably and equitably, digital technologies have the potential to revolutionise conservation. But they are a tool in our arsenal, not a silver bullet. We still need concerted efforts by countries, companies, and individuals to help pull the world’s wildlife back from the brink and build a just, sustainable future.”

In this computer age, we have no excuse not to correct a situation we have created ourselves, by employing technology to help preserve and conserve what is left of nature, else we risk our own existence on this earth.

We also couldn’t agree more with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora as cited by Secretary-General, Ivonne Higuero, who believes that “as we leverage our growing technological capacities, we must also revitalise our commitments to sustainable development. This includes preventing destructive ecological impacts, mitigating threats to species and livelihoods arising from the misuse of technology, and ensuring digital inclusion for all by 2030.”  

With the introduction of groundbreaking apps, we can now tell different animal species apart in seconds.

Drones are also helping us roam large areas to locate endangered species in unreachable areas, as well as sea turtle nesting sites, among others. 

Advanced tracking systems, real-time data analytics and artificial intelligence-driven solutions are empowering conservationists across the globe with unprecedented tools to help identify, monitor, track and ultimately preserve wildlife.

The government can also help resource our local conservationists, agencies and security apparatus tasked with ensuring our biodiversity is protected, with the necessary IT tools including applications, to monitor what we have in the wild.

We need to employ technology to take accurate inventory of our wildlife stock and find innovative ways to protect what we have currently.

World Wildlife Day may be marked once a year, but we need to come up with ways to ensure our ecosystem is intact the whole year through.

We will be saving our own lives, if we protect nature and we cannot go wrong if we leverage proven technology.

As rightly put by Mr Guterres in his speech, “We depend on nature. Let’s show that nature can depend on us – and act now to protect it.”