Natural History Museum analysis finds critical ecosystems are not being protected by current 30by30 conservation efforts

Natural History Museum analysis finds critical ecosystems are not being protected by current 30by30 conservation efforts - Natural History Museum

A close up image of a bee on a yellow flower with green leaves — Credit: Antonio Rosati

Natural History Museum calls for a new approach to the landmark pledge to protect 30% of land and water by 2030 as part of historic agreement to protect world's biodiversity

New analysis from Museum scientists shows current conservation efforts are not adequately protecting the land that provides our most critical ecosystem services, which 6 billion people depend on
Biodiversity intactness of land delivering the most critical ecosystem services is on average declining more quickly within protected areas than it is outside protected areas

Ahead of COP16, new analysis from Natural History Museum (NHM) scientists reveals that current conservation efforts for the 30by30 target – which commits all 197 countries signed to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity to designate 30% of Earth's land and ocean as protected areas by 2030 – are not adequately protecting the most critical ecosystem services which 6 billion people depend on.

So far, the prevailing approach to implementing 30by30 has been to strengthen and expand the global network of protected and conserved areas.

Emma Woods, Director of Policy at the NHM said, “We urgently need to move beyond the current approach of simply designating more protected areas to 30by30. Our analysis reinforces the view that this will not automatically result in better outcomes for biodiversity and ecosystems. As well as reaching the 30% target, we also need to place more emphasis on the quality of those areas already protected, their effective management and the value they return for both people and nature.”

NHM Scientists, including Dr Gonzalo Albaladejo-Robles, Bioinformatician and Dr Adriana De Palma, Co-Lead of the Biodiversity Futures Lab, carried out the new analysis using the Museum’s Biodiversity Intactness Index (BII). BII summarises the change in ecological communities in response to human pressures, providing a rigorous indicator of biodiversity health on a scale of 0 to 100%.

Posted On: 21/10/2024

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