Slovenia one of Europe's most biodiverse countries
Ljubljana, 22 May - Slovenia is among the European countries with the biggest diversity of flora and fauna. Some 24,000 species have been recorded, among them 800 animal and 66 plant species that are endemic, which means they are found only in Slovenia.
Ljubljana
Trees in Tivoli Park.
Photo: Stanko Gruden/STA
This data was released by the United Nations in a recent report that highlights the dangers of extinction faced by millions of plant and animal species, the Environmental Ministry pointed out on International Day for Biological Diversity.
According to a report by the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), in the past ten years biodiversity around the world has declined.
The main reasons for this are changes in land and sea use, the direct exploitation of animals and plants (for example for food), climate change, pollution and invasive species.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation has launched its first-ever global report on the state of biodiversity, which underpins humanity's food systems. The report that points out how declining biodiversity poses a threat to food sources, human health and the environment.
The Slovenian Agriculture Ministry says that in areas of high natural value, agriculture can ensure the appropriate biodiversity levels are maintained, provided the right technological solutions are employed. Extensive agriculture helps preserve the diversity of species and habitats.
This year's International Day for Biological Diversity, celebrated every year on 22 May, bears the slogan Our Biodiversity, Our Food, Our Health. The theme focuses on biodiversity as the foundation of food and health and as a key catalyst to transforming food systems and improving human well-being.
The day marks the signing of the Convention on Biological Diversity, signed in 1992. In Slovenia, it has been celebrated since 1996 when Slovenia became one of the signataries of the convention.