Conservation scientists have pointed out significant deficiencies in the compensation for areas that have either been lost or have had their protection downgraded. These deficiencies could jeopardize worldwide initiatives aimed at preserving biodiversity and put at risk the targets outlined in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which seeks to protect 30% of the Earth by 2030.
Conservation scientists from the National University of Singapore (NUS) have underscored that there are considerable shortcomings in compensating for areas that have either been lost or downgraded in their protected status. These shortcomings could undermine global efforts to safeguard biodiversity and threaten the goals of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which aims to conserve 30% of the Earth by the year 2030.
Significance of Protected Areas
Protected areas are vital for preserving biodiversity, addressing climate change, and delivering crucial ecosystem services. Intended for long-term safeguarding, many protected areas have faced downgrading, downsizing, and degazettement (PADDD) since the 1900s, exposing vulnerable species and ecosystems to the risk of extinction. While there have been efforts to mitigate these impacts through PADDD offsets and the establishment of new protected zones, these actions often fall short of completely restoring the biodiversity protection that was lost due to PADDD events.
Research Insights on PADDD Compensation
The study, spearheaded by Associate Professor Roman CARRASCO from the NUS Department of Biological Sciences and Ms. YAN Yanyun, a Research Assistant at NUS DBS, reveals a significant gap in compensatory measures for lost or downgraded protected areas due to PADDD. The research team employed global biodiversity data and spatial modeling to investigate whether offsets for PADDD occurrences and newly created protected areas effectively reinstated the integrity of reserve networks.
The results were published in the journal Conservation Biology on September 25, 2024.
Assoc Prof Carrasco stated, “Our findings show that the reduction in protected areas is not adequately counterbalanced by dedicated offsets or the creation of new protected regions. While there seems to be some recovery in land area, the restoration of quality across various biodiversity metrics, including birds, mammals, amphibians, and reptiles, remains lacking.”
Study Methodology and Key Discoveries
The research focused on 16 land territories (including places like Alaska, Australia, Bhutan, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Hawaii, Mexico, Peru, South Africa, Uganda, the UK, and the US) which experienced terrestrial PADDD events, along with four marine regions (Australia, Palau, South Africa, and the US) affected by PADDD between 2011 and 2020. The study assessed factors related to compensation, including the extent of PADDD offsets, new protected areas established, and the degree of protection restored in Key Biodiversity Areas, ecoregions, and habitats of threatened species.
The findings revealed that PADDD offsets were only implemented in 19% of the affected terrestrial areas and 25% of the marine areas. When factoring in both PADDD offsets and newly established protected areas, the restoration of protection was only partial: 63% of impacted terrestrial regions received some compensation for lost area, while 57% had their Key Biodiversity Areas’ coverage restored. The recovery rates for ecoregions and threatened species were even lower, with only 38% in ecoregions, 20% for amphibians, 33% for mammals, 31% for birds, and 21% for reptiles regaining sufficient protection.
Immediate Need for Strategic Conservation Efforts
Ms. Yan remarked, “We must urgently expand PADDD offsets and establish new protected areas to recover biodiversity losses. This expansion is crucial to achieving the 30×30 target set by the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, prioritizing the quality of protection rather than only the area covered.”
Assoc Prof Carrasco added, “The results indicate that we are losing high-quality protected areas essential for numerous species, without providing alternative protections. This deterioration in protection leaves vulnerable species increasingly at risk.”
The study highlights the largely harmful impact of PADDD events and emphasizes the necessity for a more strategic approach to maintaining and designing protected area networks. To ensure the preservation of global biodiversity, it is critical to focus on both restoring the quality of protection and increasing the number of protected areas.
