Press Release

Board View

Finding solutions in nature on the 2020 Biodiversity Day

Date:
2020-05-21
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▷ "Our solutions are in nature" as the theme for this year's Biodiversity Day

▷ Opportunity for public engagement in preserving habitat and restoring endangered species


The Ministry of Environment (Minister Cho Myung-rae) holds the 2020 Biological Diversity Day and Migratory Bird Day ceremony at the Nakdonggang National Institute of Biological Resources in Sangju, North Gyeongsang Province on May 22nd.  


The Ceremony is joined by around 50 government officials and guests including Environment Minister Cho Myung-rae, North Gyeongsang Province Governor Lee Cheol-woo, Sangju City Mayor Kang Young-seok, and Sangju City Council Chairperson Jeong Jae-hyun. It follows commemorative speech, congratulatory remarks, award ceremony for people of biodiversity merits, and continues with the "thanks to the nature" campaign, among others.


In compliance with the "distancing in daily life" measure to prevent further spread of COVID-19, this ceremony is held outdoor for a small group of 50 guests. With the help from local health authority, the venue operates medical booth while putting sufficient space between chairs.


The International Day for Biological Diversity was designated at the United Nations General Assembly to raise awareness on biological diversity in 1993. The Korean government has been celebrating it since 2010.


The theme for this year is "Our solutions are in nature." It delivers a message of the importance of living in harmony with the nature as a remedy to ecosystem restoration, since a number of challenges facing the humanity including the COVID-19 pandemic are in fact caused by climate change and the loss of biological diversity.


In his commemorative speech, Minister Cho introduces key policy efforts such as green regeneration for biodiversity conservation, and delivers his gratitude, with words of consolation, to the local residents as well as medical staff for their efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19. 


Meanwhile, the Biodiversity Day and Migratory Bird Day ceremony this year will be livestreamed* on the Environment Ministry's Facebook Page (www.facebook.com/mevpr) so that people can virtually attend the ceremony. The footage will later be uploaded as a Youtube video.


* livestreaming: May 22nd, 2020 at 11 am


Director General Park Yeon-jae of the Nature Conservation Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Environment said "I hope the International Day for Biological Diversity Day offers an opportunity for people to realize that numerous difficulties we go through actually come from biodiversity loss. Hopefully, with this awareness, I think more people would take actions for preserving habitat, restoring endangered species, and overall conserving biological diversity."