UC promotes biodiversity awareness campaign across Coimbra

Biodiversity is vital to human well-being, the health of the planet, and global economic prosperity. It underpins access to food, medicine, energy, clean air and drinking water, provides protection against natural disasters, and serves as a source of inspiration, leisure and cultural identity.

To mark the International Day for Biological Diversity on 22 May, the Centre for Functional Ecology (CFE) of the Faculty of Sciences and Technology of the University of Coimbra (FCTUC), in collaboration with the UNESCO Chair in Biodiversity and Conservation for Sustainable Development at the UC, is launching a city-wide awareness campaign. On that day, posters featuring biodiversity photographs taken by CFE researchers will be displayed at various locations across the city. The aim is to raise awareness of the importance of biological diversity and to encourage action to protect it. The occasion also marks the adoption of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in 1992 — the key international legal framework for biodiversity conservation.

The theme of this year’s campaign, “Harmony with Nature and Sustainable Development”, highlights the links between the UN’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF). This campaign seeks to raise public awareness of biodiversity’s essential role in addressing poverty and inequality, accelerate the development of National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs), promote cross-sector collaboration, and encourage action at every level of society.

The public is invited to take part by sharing photos of local plants, animals or fungi spotted in everyday settings across Coimbra from 22 May until the end of the month, using the hashtag #BiodiversidadeCoimbra on social media.

More information and resources on the International Day for Biodiversity 2025 are available on the CBD official website.