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Today, May 10th, in addition to being SIDS Day, coincides with the release, in Nairobi, Kenya, of the third edition of Global Biodiversity Outlook (GBO-3). This major new assessment of the current state of biodiversity and the implications of its continued loss for human well-being was produced by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the broadest international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and the equitable sharing of the benefits from the utilization of genetic resources. The Convention has been ratified by 193 Parties, including all SIDS. The report concludes that the world has failed to meet its target to achieve a significant reduction in the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010 and that natural systems that support economies, lives, livelihoods and poverty eradication across the planet are at risk of rapid degradation and collapse, unless there is swift, radical and creative action to conserve and sustainably use the variety of life on Earth.

Species which have been assessed for extinction risk are on average moving closer to extinction. Amphibians face the greatest risk and coral species are deteriorating most rapidly in status. Nearly a quarter of plant species are estimated to be threatened with extinction.

The ecological linkages between water, wetlands and forests represent the intricate interdependence of our ecosystems and our resources. Forests play a pivotal role in the hydrological cycle by affecting rates of transpiration and evaporation, and influencing how water is routed and stored in a watershed. This consequently plays a vital role in the preservation of our wetlands, which act as natural reservoirs and are extremely rich in terms of both biodiversity and the ecological services that they provide, for example, within the realms of agriculture, sanitation, and energy