Biodiversity is defined as the variety of life on earth, comprising all organisms, species and populations, their genetic diversity and the diversity of communities and ecosystems. Biodiversity thus encompasses three levels that must be considered in relation to one another:
Genetic diversity, species diversity and ecosystem diversity.
Globally, we count 36 so-called hotspots of biodiversity – these are the areas with the richest biodiversity on the planet. Although they only cover 2.4 percent of the earth’s terrestrial surface, these areas support more than half of the world’s plant species and more than 40 percent of terrestrial vertebrate species as endemics. The loss of these species is therefore irreversible.
Because the safeguarding of ecosystem functions needs to be seen as a global task, NABU activities go beyond the biodiversity hotspots. As part of the BirdLife network, bird conservation has a long tradition for us. Efforts in this area contribute to biodiversity as a whole.
Browse our biodiversity projects below.
Hutan Harapan, the "forest of hope", is a tropical lowland forest in Sumatra, Indonesia, and one of our most precious conservation and restoration programmes. The forest is one of the last refuges for endangered species and provides countless ecosystem services. more →
Iko Esai in Nigeria, Africa, is home to precious tropical rainforest and extraordinary biodiversity, including gorillas, chimpanzees and forest elephants. In collaboration with local communities and partners, NABU protects the forest and secures livelihoods. more →
What Europe needs? Wet peatlands! NABU is part of the international project LIFE Multi Peat that aims to rewet and manage degraded peatlands covering an area of 689 hectare. The project is being implemented in Poland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Ireland and Germany. more →
The marine biodiversity of the Coral Triangle is threatened by overfishing and habitat degradation. We support coastal communities of the Banggai Islands to secure their livelihoods through sustainable fishing practices in line with the Marine Protected Area. more →
Fragmentation and degradation are threatening Ethiopia's diverse forest landscapes and thus the country's biodiversity and food security. In Southwest Ethiopia, NABU and its partners are therefore implementing action plans to restore the precious forests. more →
NABU is part of the LIFE Peat Restore project that aims to rewet degraded peatlands covering an area of 5,300 hectares in Germany, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia to restore their function as carbon sinks. more →
NABU and its Indonesian partner in the BirdLife network, Burung Indonesia, completed a project to protect tropical forests on the Indonesian island Sulawesi. The project was part of BirdLife’s “Forest of Hope Program” and located in the province of Gorontalo. more →
In 2015, NABU launched the project “Sustainable Forest and Wetland Management at Mahavavy-Kinkony” to save the protected area in Western Madagascar, together with its BirdLife partner ASITY Madagascar. more →
