“To Survive We Must Coexist With Nature” – UNICAL Prof at UN Meeting

A Statement on the occasion of the Fifteenth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (Part Two) in Montreal, Canada by Professor Aniebiet Inyang Ntui.

“Nature is in crisis with over a billion species of plants and animals facing extinction. The UN Biodiversity Conference, COP15, is serving as a hub for representatives and stakeholders from more than 190 nations to work on a strategy to stop the loss of ecosystems, animals, and the services they provide for maintaining human life.

Life on earth has existed for hundreds of millions of years, humans are a very tiny part of the ecosystem but every day we act as if we are alone and make irresponsible decisions that continuously degrade the earth’s biodiversity which in turn affects billions of animals and organisms around the world. Nature is fundamental to our survival. It ensures we have fertile soil to cultivate crops and serves as a refinery for oxygen. Nature also provides us with the raw material for modern medicines, which saves lives daily. We are the custodians of the earth and must not only talk the talk but walk the walk, to ensure sustainable practices and goals for us and generations yet unborn. To survive we must coexist with nature.

The global biodiversity framework must be adopted to halt and reverse nature loss by 2030. Remember nature does not need us for anything but we need nature for everything. The clock is ticking quickly. The time for decisive action is NOW!”

Professor Aniebiet Inyang Ntui from the University of Calabar is leading deliberations in the crucial summit as a Member of the United Nations’ Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Women Caucus.

Aniebiet Inyang Ntui is the Most Read Researcher in Nigeria, the 2022 UK Global Prize Winner, a Nobel Prize Nominee, a Professor of Library and Information Science, and the University Librarian of the University of Calabar.

She is a Climate and Biodiversity Advocate on the West African Coast.