Deadly Spain Floods Spark Call for Biodiversity Protection

AFP/APP

Cali, Colombia: European officials on Thursday pointed to deadly flooding in Spain as a stark reminder of the dangers posed by human-driven destruction of nature. Delegates at a stalled UN biodiversity conference in Colombia were urged to “act” in response to such environmental crises.

European Commission envoy Florika Fink-Hooijer described the recent “catastrophe” in eastern and southern Spain as an example of how biodiversity destruction exacerbates climate change. Droughts and flooding, intensified by global warming, contribute to plant species loss, including trees, which absorb carbon emissions, fueling a destructive cycle.

“If we act on biodiversity, we at least can buffer some of the climate impacts,” Fink-Hooijer stated at the 16th Conference of Parties (COP16) to the UN Convention on Biodiversity (CBD), held in Cali.

With around 23,000 delegates, the summit is the largest ever of its kind. “At this COP, we really have a chance to act,” added Fink-Hooijer, the European Commission’s director-general for environment.