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3mo ago

Wealthy Nations’ Conservation and Consumption Practices Threaten Global Biodiversity

Research reveals that high-income countries' trade and rewilding efforts are displacing environmental harm to biodiverse regions, exacerbating species loss globally.

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Conservation efforts can have unintended consequences but experts say these are rarely considered or even properly understood
The biggest threat to orangutans is the destruction of their habitat

Overview

  • A study found that 24 high-income nations are responsible for 13% of global forest habitat loss outside their borders, disproportionately impacting tropical biodiversity hotspots.
  • Consumption-driven deforestation for imports like beef, palm oil, and timber is linked to habitat destruction affecting 7,600 forest-dependent species, including critically endangered ones.
  • Conservation efforts in wealthy countries, such as rewilding farmland, can inadvertently shift food and timber production to poorer, biodiverse nations, causing greater ecological harm.
  • The concept of 'biodiversity leakage,' where conservation in one area displaces environmental damage to another, is largely unaddressed in global policies like the UN's Global Biodiversity Framework.
  • Experts emphasize the need for targeted conservation, sustainable trade practices, and reduced demand for high-impact commodities to mitigate global biodiversity loss.