Jungle Doctor | Statement of partnership

Human, animal and environmental health is inextricably linked in the complex web of the ecosystem, but today, biodiversity is being lost at approximately 1,000 times the rate of pre-industrialised times. With this comes a horrifying cascade of events should we allow it to continue. With species loss comes destabilisation of the ecosystem and its functions, bringing increased risk of diseases shared between humans and animals, destabilisation of food chains and food supplies, loss of medicines, loss of livelihoods, broader economic impacts, reduction in water availability and air quality, and a loss of ecoservices – the services provided by nature that are often taken for granted.

With just six years left to achieve the targets set out by the Paris Agreement, the time for action is now. As the old saying goes “if you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together” does not hold true here. We must go both fast and far, and we must do it together, now, if we are to have any hope for the future wellbeing, liveability, and economic prosperity of our planet.

One of the most critical actions we must take is focussing on nature-based solutions to climate change. Protecting biodiversity in all its forms is a critical element of our fight against climate change, and a large part of this is safeguarding our oceans as a matter of priority. The world’s oceans are one of our biggest weapons against climate change: not only is the ocean home to an abundance of marine life, but it also functions to dissipate heat from the Earth’s surface, while sequestering approximately a third of the Earth’s total carbon emissions.

We must engage coastal communities – those most at risk of adverse climatic events – and empower them to take local conservation into their own hands. In fact, this is already happening. Communities around the world are rallying together and driving this change from the grass roots level all the way up to government and beyond. Just look at Scotland, where 23 communities have come together to create the Coastal Communities Network, through which they have been successful in establishing several Marine Protected Areas off Scotland’s West coast and were involved in the declaration of the UK’s first ever Hope Spot, found on the Argyll coast.

As a wildlife vet and passionate conservationist, an Official Advocate of Kensington Palace’s Earthshot Prize, and consultant for Fauna & Flora – the world’s oldest international conservation organisation – I am proud to announce my partnership with the Lesvos Mission Blue Project. Together, we are building programs to engage local communities, global youths and governments in driving change for the increased protection of our marine environments and broader environmental health. This will include educational initiatives to bring students together from all over the world, as well as field projects, citizen science, school outreach, conferences, and engaging global leaders and dignitaries in our work.

Young people are not the leaders of tomorrow. They are the leaders of today, and together we will ensure their voices are heard. For the health of our communities, ecosystem, planet, youth, economies and mental wellbeing, now is the time to come together and we hope you’ll join us on this mission.

Thank you.

Dr Chloe Buiting
Wildlife veterinarian, conservationist, published author, Board director, public speaker and Official Advocate of Kensington Palace’s Earthshot Prize