Deputy minister: Decline in biodiversity is directly linked to climate change

The change in rare species and the decrease in biodiversity are directly related to climate change, Azerbaijani Deputy Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Vugar Karimov said at a COP29 event titled "Connection between Climate and Biodiversity: Integrated Solutions for a Sustainable Future," Report informs.

According to Karimov, climate changes also affect biodiversity:

"Climate change and its impact on living organisms concerns the world. The decrease in biodiversity is directly related to climate change."

The deputy minister noted that the increase in global temperature also leads to a rise in the number of diseases.

"Climate change also affects forest ecosystems. Forest fires and the rise in diseases stem purely from this reason. One of the main priorities in reducing the effects of climate change is forest protection," said Karimov.

He added that the current rate of global biodiversity decline is 100 times higher than before, and this difference is expected to increase further in the coming years: "However, the reduction or in many cases extinction of animal and plant species is also a result of human activity."