NTU student Muhammad Nasry will pay his own way to attend COP16, the UN biodiversity conference, in Colombia
SINGAPORE – Mr. Muhammad Nasry Abdul Nasir, a 25-year-old environmental earth systems science student from Nanyang Technological University (NTU), is preparing for his journey to the UN’s COP16 biodiversity conference in Cali, Colombia, from Oct 21 to Nov 1, 2024. He will be attending as one of two young Singaporeans, with a focus on advocating for biodiversity policy changes.
Nasry, who is also the executive director of Singapore Youth Voices for Biodiversity (SYVB), admires the greater racket-tailed drongo, a bird known for its ability to mimic other birds’ calls to gain an advantage. Nasry values the bird’s resourcefulness and adaptability, traits he seeks to embody in his work advocating for biodiversity conservation.
“Biodiversity policy lacks the same attention as climate change policy, even though both are deeply interconnected,” said Nasry. He emphasized the importance of influencing policy to address biodiversity loss, stressing that the government must work with stakeholders today rather than waiting for future generations to act.
Despite Singapore’s advancements in protecting biodiversity, Nasry believes there is still room for improvement, especially in involving the private sector in conservation efforts. He advocates for greater attention to conservation finance, a field focused on funding large-scale protection and restoration initiatives.
Nasry’s journey to COP16 is self-funded, with an estimated cost of $2,500 for a round-trip flight to Colombia. After the conference, he plans to share his experience with the nature community in Singapore, encouraging a broader, more coordinated approach to biodiversity conservation.
COP16 is a key event for global biodiversity efforts, with countries aligning their targets to halt the decline of nature by 2050. Nasry highlights the importance of integrating biodiversity into all sectors and decision-making processes for effective conservation.
