"Accelerated climate change puts Earth's biodiversity at risk," warns MMA researcher at the UNAMAZ Pavilion at COP 30
The biodiversity of Planet Earth has the capacity to adapt to climate change. However, when these changes occur intensely and rapidly, natural resources are at serious risk of disappearing. Given the urgency of the issue, the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change (MMA) is part of an international mobilization in defense of synergy between the conventions on climate, biodiversity and desertification, approved at Rio 92.
These issues were discussed in the lecture by Professor Braulio Dias, Director of Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity at the MMA. The presentation took place this Monday (11/17), at the Pavilion of the Association of Amazonian Universities (UNAMAZ) in partnership with Biotec-Amazônia, during COP 30, in Belém.
“Biodiversity naturally manages to adapt to climate change, but if the change comes too quickly, as is happening, biodiversity will not be able to keep up. That is the problem,” warns Professor Braulio Dias. According to him, the result could be devastating: “We will have mass destruction of flora, fauna and microorganisms.”
Brazil, the richest country in biodiversity in the world, already has more than 5,000 species on the red list — species threatened with extinction. “If there is a little more climate pressure, we could have many extinctions,” emphasizes the researcher.

The professor also highlighted recent impacts of climate change in the country. Last year, a severe drought followed by large fires in the Amazon destroyed extensive areas of forest, some with no prospect of regeneration. The Pantanal was also affected, as was Rio Grande do Sul, which faced large-scale floods.
According to Braulio Dias, conservation and restoration actions are fundamental to facing this reality. Protecting biodiversity contributes to carbon sequestration and mitigating climate change. He recalled that Brazil maintains a robust system of protected areas and that the Ministry of the Environment (MMA) has plans to restore 12 million hectares by 2030, prioritizing more degraded regions, especially in the Amazon.
Commenting on the opportunity to discuss the topic at the UNAMAZ Pavilion, the professor reinforced: "When dealing with this interface between climate change and biodiversity, we will need a lot of science and academic production."

Microorganisms and life
In the panel "Connection between the Biodiversity and Climate Agendas," Professor and geneticist Artur Silva, from UFPA and director of the BioTec-Amazônia Association, drew attention to the urgent need to preserve microorganisms in the Amazon. “We need fast mechanisms for prospecting these microorganisms, given the advancement of processes that affect structural areas for scientific research,” he stated.
He cited a recent example: the discovery of a bacterium in the Utinga area, in Belém, which resulted in a scientific article and sparked the interest of the American Society for Microbiology. From the genetic analysis of these organisms, new drugs, cosmetics, and other industrial applications may emerge.

Lawyer Luiz Ricardo Marinelli, also a participant in the panel, reinforced the importance of conservation: “Industries need biodiversity to be very well preserved. It is no use leaving this responsibility only to scientists, the government, or traditional peoples and communities. Without natural resources as raw materials, production costs will be much higher.”
Professor Carlos Lazary, a member of the UNAMAZ Advisory Council, concluded with a stark warning: "Climate change is destroying nature's heritage, which could mean the loss of microorganisms, knowledge, and everything that may hold the key to improving humanity's quality of life in the future."