Introduction to the state of knowledge review

Biodiversity is at the heart of the intricate web of life on earth and the processes essential to its survival. Our planet’s biological resources are not only shaped by natural evolutionary processes but are also increasingly transformed by anthropogenic activity, population pressures and globalizing tendencies. When human activity threatens these resources, or the complex ecosystems of which they are a part, it poses potential risks to millions of people whose livelihoods, health and well-being are sustained by them. e increasingly complex global health challenges that we face, including poverty, malnutrition, infectious diseases and the growing burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), are more intimately tied than ever to the complex interactions between ecosystems, people and socioeconomic processes. These considerations are also at the heart of the post- 2015 Development Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals