COP16 Dispatch: Day 1 at COP16 A Microbiologist’s Journey

By Zohra Zahir, Ph.D. Candidate, University of Regina, Canada

Attending COP16 is a surreal experience. It’s my first time participating in any UN Conference and seeing people from all over the world come together with a shared purpose reminds me that we can sit down at the same table and share our stories, no matter where we come from. As a PhD student in microbiology, I rarely interact with policymakers. I watched politicians negotiate terms and contexts, and it made me realize just how much the world of policy is interwoven with science—and how much depends on how that science is communicated. Thankfully, being a part of the ESA community has been a tremendous help. Throughout the day, I bumped into fellow ESA scholars who shared ideas and tips for navigating the conference, which made everything feel a little less intimidating.

Delegates engage in discussions at a roundtable session during COP16

I’ve set a personal goal for this COP: to advocate for microbial communities. These microscopic organisms are the primary regulators of many biogeochemical cycles, and their health reflects the health of the ecosystems they inhabit. As I wandered through various pavilions and booths, I made it my mission to ask biodiversity advocates if their agendas or policies included any mention of microbial communities. So far, I haven’t seen any focus on this critical area—but I remain hopeful that awareness will grow.

A highlight of the day was attending a press conference: “Wetlands in the NBSAPs for Nature, People, and Climate Change,” hosted by Wetlands International. Femke Tonneijck and her team presented findings on wetlands that were truly eye-opening. Wetlands support 40% of the world’s biodiversity, and 1 billion people depend on them either directly or indirectly. Yet, we’ve lost 70% of the world’s wetlands due to drainage and land conversion in the last few centuries.

The data struck me hard, especially given my research focus on wetland microbial biodiversity. At the press conference, I got the opportunity to ask a question and share insights from my own research on how human activities impact microbial diversity in wetlands. It was such a rewarding experience. I received positive feedback and exchanged contact information with delegates from different countries. It’s exciting to see that microbial biodiversity is starting to get the attention it deserves.

Zohra Zahir speaks on integrating wetlands into biodiversity strategies for climate resilience at Wetlands in the NBSAPs, Oct 21, 2024.

Overall, it was an incredible first day—one filled with learning, connecting, and advocating. I can’t wait to see what the next few days bring!

Disclaimer: Opinions are solely those of the guest contributer and not an official ESA policy or position.