Megadiversity

Eighteen megadiversity countries are home to 70% of the species in the world. They also host more than 64% of the languages spoken on the planet. This paper builds on this strong correlation to argue that diversity of cultures is an expression of biological diversity. These two components of diversity must, therefore, be treated jointly by science, policy and practice to a much greater extent than is currently the case. We also present the risks and opportunities for the megadiversity countries from scientific, socioeconomic and political viewpoints.