Overview
- An international comment in Nature Ecology & Evolution introduces the concept of conservation abandonment and estimates at least US$87 billion is spent on conservation each year, with needs rising to roughly US$540 billion by 2030 and US$740 billion by 2050.
- Evidence from case reviews suggests about one third of initiatives end within a few years of launch, yet many inactive efforts continue to be counted in official totals.
- Researchers cite more than 3,700 global PADDD events that have legally weakened protections since 1892, reflecting widespread formal rollbacks alongside informal discontinuation.
- Documented cases include Chile discontinuing 22% of community fisheries rights, Canada opening 26,450 sq km of a downgraded marine area to oil exploration, and seven areas disestablished in Morocco and Canada totaling 2,412 sq km.
- The authors urge a global monitoring system, durable long-term financing, and transparent accounting as COP30 opens in Brazil, stressing Australia’s reduced protections and limited enforcement in parts of its marine network.