[This text was generated using artificial intelligence (GPT-3) and underwent subsequent human editing to ensure accuracy.]
A part of the protected Ranthambore National Park area in Rajasthan, India. Credit: Subhra Priydarshini
Asia is unlikely to achieve the United Nations’ Global Biodiversity Framework target of protecting 30% of its land area by 2030 unless constituent countries secure terrestrial areas at least 2.4 times faster than the previous target period (2010–2020), a new estimate says1. The study assumes importance in the wake of the recently concluded 15th Conference of Parties of the Convention of Biological Diversity at Montreal, which reinforced its commitment to the target.
A recent evaluation by researchers across several Asian countries, including India, found that Asia is the most underperforming continent globally with only 13.2% of its terrestrial area under protection, averaging around 14% per country. Aichi Target 11, which mandated governments to protect 17% or more of their terrestrial environments by 2020, has rarely been achieved, especially in Asia with its combination of high biodiversity and dense human populations.
The researchers found that higher agricultural land in 2015 in Asia meant lower protected area (PA) coverage in recent times, and that the continent's average annual pace of increase in PA was remarkably slow at around 0.4%.
Using statistical models, they suggest that past coverage could be taken as a strong predictor of future coverage. Post-2020, Asia is projected to experience the highest rates of habitat loss from conversion to agricultural lands, they say.
Their findings suggest that Asia will likely miss the ambitious 2030 Global Biodiversity Framework goal to protect 30% of its land area unless PA coverage increases between 2.4 and 5.9 times faster for various regions.
The researchers recommend that Asia should widely adopt effective area-based conservation measures, restore disturbed landscapes, and bolster transboundary PAs in order to meet their post-2020 biodiversity targets.
