Biodiversity lies at the heart of today’s environmental policies, but it is also the very condition that makes life on Earth possible.
As defined by the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, biodiversity refers to “the variety and richness of living forms — animals, plants, microorganisms — and the ecosystems they form.”;It is an invisible web that connects all natural processes, creating functional relationships within ecosystems that ensure their resilience, help keep them in a good state of conservation, and enable them to provide what are known as ecosystem services.
This is why, whenever a species disappears or a habitat is degraded, one strand of that web is broken. The natural environment’s ability to regenerate is weakened, along with its capacity to nourish and protect human life.
Today, biodiversity is therefore centred on one key idea: harmonious coexistence between people, nature and the environment, and between the use of the planet’s resources and their conservation. This relationship is not static. It is constantly evolving and requires continuous attention and responsible ecosystem management, through measures based on data and scientific evidence.
Why biodiversity matters
As outlined above, biodiversity is what allows ecosystems to exist and thrive. Every species, even the smallest, has a specific role to play in maintaining this complex system: from oxygen production and the decomposition of organic matter to pollination and the role of predators in regulating prey populations.
However, when one or more species become overly dominant, or conversely too rare, ecological imbalances can arise and compromise entire habitats. One example is the uncontrolled increase of certain ungulate populations, which in many Italian regions has caused, and continues to cause, damage to forests, crops and smaller wildlife species. Excessive numbers of these animals can undermine the natural regeneration of woodlands, create competition with other herbivores and alter the structure of vegetation in a given area. Over time, these effects contribute significantly to the loss of biodiversity and become especially evident where ecosystems are fragmented and surrounded by a “matrix” of human-altered environments, such as urban areas or intensive farmland.
This is why biodiversity protection cannot be understood simply as passive preservation. It requires active ecosystem management based on scientific criteria.
Nature is a dynamic system, and aiming for an unchanging “natural balance” is not a viable option. Human beings are an integral part of this system and affect every aspect of it: climate, soils, water and animal populations. When guided by knowledge and responsibility, human intervention can therefore become a valuable resource.
Within this framework, hunting carried out in accordance with current legislation can, for example, be one of the tools available for managing natural heritage. The aim is not to place people in opposition to nature, but to manage a balance that takes into account as many components of biodiversity as possible.
The controlled harvesting of certain huntable species, when supported by population surveys and wildlife management plans, can help prevent damage to habitats, reduce conflicts with agricultural activities and promote coexistence among different species.
Biodiversity is therefore a form of “natural insurance”: it contributes to the stability and resilience of an ecosystem, enabling it to absorb environmental shocks. Its loss does not concern only the fate of animal and plant species; it can also affect our food security, public health and the quality of life of future generations.
What factors affect biodiversity
A closer look at the factors that affect biodiversity shows that they are numerous, but deeply interconnected. Some are natural in origin, while others — the majority — are linked to human activity. Among the most significant are:
- Changes in land use.
- Habitat alteration.
- Pollution.
- Climate change.
- The introduction of alien species, meaning species that are not native to a given region.
- Demographic imbalances between species.
In Italy, for example, several phenomena pose a real threat to biodiversity. Urban and infrastructure expansion, the abandonment of rural areas, agricultural homogenisation and habitat fragmentation have all reduced the living space available to wild flora and fauna.
These pressures are compounded by more complex situations, such as the uncontrolled growth of certain species populations. The decline, or conversely the population boom, of natural predators or competing species previously present in the same area, combined with specific environmental conditions, can encourage the spread of species which, by becoming dominant, undermine biodiversity.
These ecological imbalances often arise from a combination of factors: climate change, food availability, the colonisation of exotic species, population growth among native species, and more.
In short, biodiversity is a complex system that responds to environmental pressures in interdependent ways. Protecting it requires an integrated and coordinated approach, in which scientific knowledge and monitoring guide decision-making.
What is being done to protect biodiversity
Protecting biodiversity requires action at several levels: global, national and individual. The most effective strategies are those that bring together conservation policies, land-use planning and community engagement.
At intergovernmental level, a number of international organisations work to protect biodiversity, acting as a point of contact between different perspectives and the stakeholders involved. The most important include:
- The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN): the world’s largest global network of organisations and governments working for biodiversity conservation, founded in 1948. Fondazione UNA has been a member of the Union and part of the Italian IUCN delegation since 2020.
- The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP): a United Nations body that promotes environmental protection and sustainability through global policies and specific projects.
- The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO): which, through instruments such as the World Heritage Convention and the Man and the Biosphere Programme, supports the conservation and enhancement of natural areas.
At local and individual level, biodiversity stewardship takes shape through everyday activities: monitoring, wildlife surveys, woodland clean-ups, invasive species control, the creation of ecological corridors and the restoration of natural habitats. In this context, the hunting community plays an essential role. Thanks to its widespread presence across the country, it can contribute to the collection of scientific data, report critical issues and support the active management of wildlife populations.
Biodiversity protection, therefore, is not a one-off act, but a shared process. To be effective, it must rest on one clear principle: decisions must be based on scientific assessment, not on ideology or prejudice. Only through cooperation between local communities, research bodies, institutions, farmers, environmental organisations and hunters can a workable balance be achieved between the needs of our own species and those of ecosystems.
Fondazione UNA’s work for biodiversity
Fondazione UNA is now a point of reference for those who believe in practical biodiversity protection and are committed to safeguarding the environment and promoting sustainability throughout Italy.
The Foundation promotes projects that bring together the environmental, agricultural and hunting worlds, working alongside the scientific community with the shared aim of preserving nature and improving quality of life for everyone.
Its most significant initiatives include:
- Operation Guardians of the Territory: a project launched in 2022 to bring together and give structure to all the activities carried out by hunters in support of local communities and the land, from woodland clean-ups and path restoration to the many projects through which hunting clubs play an active role in their communities.
- Collaborations with Federparchi: these began in 2022 with the first edition of “Biodiversità in Volo”, a project created to raise awareness of protected species conservation initiatives carried out by national parks. Today, this collaboration continues through a series of monitoring and restocking initiatives in which Fondazione UNA plays an active role.
- Recognition of Hunting Resrves as OECMs: together with Federparchi, Fondazione UNA presented a proposal at the 2025 IUCN World Conservation Congress for Aziende Faunistico-Venatorie — wildlife and hunting reserves — to be recognised as OECMs, or Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures. The proposal highlighted the efforts made by these areas and the results they have achieved in safeguarding biodiversity.
- Collaborations with schools and universities: from interactive lessons in primary schools and educational field trips with local schools, to more structured and long-term initiatives such as the Digital Race and the award for undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral theses. These projects are designed to involve students and recognise their commitment to initiatives focused on biodiversity protection.
Fondazione UNA works to ensure that environmental protection does not remain confined to statements of intent, but becomes tangible, measurable and shared action. Its approach combines scientific expertise with practical knowledge of the territory, promoting an Italian model of sustainable management that is also recognised at European level.
What the UN Convention on Biological Diversity establishes
The UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), signed in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, is the main international legal framework for the protection of biodiversity. It sets out three fundamental objectives: the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the use of genetic resources.
The Convention recognises biodiversity as a vital resource for development and states that its management must be based on scientific knowledge and an ecosystem-based approach. It also requires each country to develop national biodiversity strategies and to integrate conservation into sectoral policies, from agriculture and energy to land-use planning and tourism.
The CBD also stresses the importance of local community participation and respect for traditional knowledge, recognising that caring for nature is a collective responsibility.
How Italy implements the UN Convention on Biological Diversity
Italy has implemented the UN Convention through its National Biodiversity Strategy, coordinated by the Ministry of the Environment. The strategy, which is updated periodically, sets objectives and indicators for conserving, restoring and enhancing the country’s natural capital.
Today, in line with the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030, two main objectives must be achieved:
- The creation and strengthening of terrestrial and marine protected areas, with the aim of reaching the targets of 30% of land and sea areas under protection, and 10% under strict protection.
- The restoration of terrestrial and marine ecosystems, with the target of improving the conservation status of 30% of habitats and species, particularly through regional action on the conservation objectives and measures of Natura 2000 sites.
In recent years, Italy has also made significant progress in recognising the role of sustainable hunting in biodiversity management. Through monitoring programmes, training courses and cooperation protocols involving hunting associations, universities and institutions, a management model has developed that brings together scientific knowledge and direct field experience.
This approach, also promoted by Fondazione UNA, recognises that protecting biodiversity means helping it to thrive, through a balance between conservation, sustainable use and collective responsibility.
Join Fondazione UNA and help protect biodiversity
Biodiversity is the foundation of life and of the planet’s future. Protecting it does not mean freezing time or excluding human beings, as some approaches now labelled as “rewilding” seem to suggest. It means managing nature with wisdom, balance and knowledge. It means building a network of responsibility between science, politics, the economy and civil society.
The stewardship of biodiversity is not based on ideological positions, but on data and scientific assessment. It is a process that requires cooperation, education and awareness. Within this process, the hunting community, when operating in accordance with the rules and with respect for the environment, is a valuable ally in maintaining balance between species and preserving the country’s natural wealth.
Fondazione UNA works every day to show that protecting nature also means recognising the role of human beings as custodians, rather than antagonists. Only by bringing together skills, experience and responsibility can we truly help biodiversity thrive.
