Efforts to safeguard biodiversity and combat climate change are being undermined by insufficient compensation for downgraded or lost protected areas, according to a new study. Published in the journal Conservation Biology on September 25, 2024, the research highlighted critical gaps in strategies designed to offset losses and restore biodiversity in areas affected by protected area downgrading, downsizing, or degazettement (PADDD) events.
Protected areas are crucial for preserving biodiversity, combating climate change and providing essential ecosystem services. They act as safe havens for plants and animals, helping to prevent their extinction. However, these regions are increasingly vulnerable due to PADDD events, which heighten the risk of species extinction.
Although efforts have been made to restore these protected areas through compensatory offsets and new designations, these measures often fall short.
Led by Associate Professor Roman Carrasco and Research Assistant Yanyun Yan from the National University of Singapore’s Department of Biological Sciences, the study examined 16 land and four marine areas that experienced PADDD events between 2011 and 2020 and found serious shortcomings in how we compensate for lost protected areas.
The researchers sought to understand the occurrence of these events and whether compensation could effectively restore biodiversity. Using data from various sources, such as the PADDD Tracker and the World Database on Protected Areas, they analysed official events and meticulously cleaned the data to remove inaccuracies. They then calculated the extent to which lost areas were compensated by new protected areas or existing offsets.
The findings are troubling, with figures highlighting the limited success of restoration efforts. While some areas managed to offset lost space, the quality of protection was often insufficient.
Only 19 per cent of affected land areas and 25 per cent of marine areas received compensation through new or existing protected areas. Of the land areas impacted by PADDD, just 63 per cent regained lost territory, while only 57 per cent restored Key Biodiversity Areas (KBA).
The study also revealed a low level of protection for threatened species, with only 20 per cent of amphibians, 33 per cent of mammals and 21 per cent of reptiles receiving adequate safeguards.
Terrestrial PADDD events were identified in countries like Alaska, Australia, Bhutan, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Hawaii, Mexico, Peru, South Africa, Uganda, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Marine PADDD events were recorded in Australia, Palau, South Africa and the US.
Resource extraction and infrastructure development, particularly oil and gas projects, were major drivers of these downgrades. For example, Brazil and Colombia primarily experienced downsizing, while oil and gas development was a major factor in Ecuador and Uganda.
Of the 16 territories with terrestrial PADDD events, only three had effective compensation offsets: Brazil had approximately 1,700 square kilometres (sq km) of offsets, Ecuador had three sq km and Peru had five sq km.
For marine areas, only Palau provided substantial offsets, covering around 62,000 sq km. Among these regions, Peru was the only one to match the lost area with effective offsets.
Australia’s contribution to the global initiative to protect 30 per cent of the planet’s surface, known as the 30×30 target, was significant, accounting for 0.5 per cent in area and 0.89 per cent based on KBA coverage. However, regions such as Alaska, Bhutan and Uganda showed little to no compensation.
Many areas struggled to protect threatened species following PADDD events, the research noted. For instance, Australia and the US were unable to replace lost protections for amphibians, mammals, birds and reptiles. Only a few marine areas successfully safeguarded threatened species.
The research underscored the urgent need for improved strategies to enhance PADDD offsets and establish new protected areas, warning that without reforms in the management of protected areas, global biodiversity will face severe threats.
The urgency to address these challenges has grown with increasing pressures from development and agriculture. Future conservation strategies must include clear reporting and the restoration of critical habitats over merely increasing numbers, the study underlined.