UN Convention on Biological Diversity

Show your support for the UN Convention on Biological Diversity!

The Barents regions of Finland, Sweden, Norway and Russia have magnificent water systems and their catchment areas that maintain unique biodiversity and natural products, clean waters and recreational opportunities. However, due to climate change and pressure to use natural resources, biodiversity is declining in the Barents region. Halting the loss of nature requires ambitious action from the local to the global level. Concrete local action and global cooperation work best together.

At the next meeting of the parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity in late 2021, the goal is for the countries of the world to agree on common goals to halt the loss of biodiversity globally. Finland, as the chair of the BEAC Working Group on Environment, wants to inspire actors in the Barents region to showcase existing efforts to protect biodiversity in the area and encourage new activities. The Barents region has a wealth of expertise in the protection of freshwater ecosystems, such as the restoration of rivers. We want to bring these great actions together, and show on a global scale how much impact local and regional projects have - small streams make big rivers.

We invite all interested actors in the Barents region to submit their own freshwater ecosystem projects and other activities to the UN Biodiversity Convention Portal. Towards the end of 2021, we will bring together the reported actions of the region. A final summary is expected by the end of 2022.

We challenge everyone to join in – let’s raise together the unique nature and conservation work of the Barents region to the world map!