Lack of resources to prevent global biodiversity loss and funds for megadiverse countries emerged as some of the major challenges during the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) meeting in Rome.  

More than 600 delegates from 126 countries negotiated a "zero-draft" to prepare a framework to protect wild animals, birds, plants and restore natural resources. 

"Hundreds of ideas shared by governments have been added to the draft," said Basile van Hovre, co-chair of the open-ended working group, CBD. 

"Not everything is done. We need to address the issues of resource mobilization and megadiverse countries that have a wealth of biodiversity but not many resources to protect them," added Hovre. 

There are 17 megadiverse countries in the world, including China, which harbors the majority of species in the world. 

But keeping the challenges aside, delegates during the week-long negotiation appeared keen on preparing an "actionable" framework. The meeting concluded on Saturday.

"As we finish this meeting, we see not just a transformative change in the nature of negotiations, but a transformative change in participation and recommendation for proposal," Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, acting executive secretary, said.

"Clearly, it's also increasing the ambition to bend the curve for biodiversity loss."    

The meeting earlier scheduled to be held in China was shifted to Italy due to the coronavirus epidemic. But a similar outbreak in a few cities in the country threatened to derail the negotiation process in Rome. "We all stood firm and reached the end of the meeting," Mrema added. 

Concerned over biodiversity loss due to human activities, the first firm action to prevent the loss started in 2010. A year later, Aichi Biodiversity Targets were set to achieve a 10-year goalpost, but the destruction of species, natural habitats and over-fishing continued. 

According to the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), its assessment warned a million species of animal and plants are threatened by extinction.

In order to prevent and reverse the loss, a new "Paris style" framework is being prepared by CBD to initiate a global action to reduce the damage by 2030 drastically. The meeting in Rome was an effort to finalize a draft for the framework. 

The final framework would be decided at the 15th Conference of Parties (COP15) to the CBD in October in Kunming, China. 

Wildlife and environmental protection groups expressed their concern about governments not displaying enough urgency towards preventing biodiversity loss. 

"It's disappointing to see limited ambition and leadership displayed by countries in Rome," said Marco Lambertini, director-general of WWF International.

"It will now be critical that countries step up to the challenge in the next round of negotiations and ensure the draft agreement arrives in Kunming with the necessary ambition to deliver a nature positive world by the end of the decade."

A large number of negotiators also raised the issue of developing countries' capacity to fund initiatives required for biodiversity loss. They urged to ensure a firm commitment from the governments to start a bold and decisive action to protect nature. 

"If they continue to haggle over targets without moving the underlying politics for their achievement, Kunming will be old wine in a new bottle," warned Li Shuo, a campaigner with Greenpeace.

"Addressing not only where we need to be, but also how to get there is the only way to go from zero to hero."