The world's protected areas (Pas) are experiencing significant shortfalls in staffing and resources and are therefore failing on a massive scale to safeguard wildlife, according to a new analysis published in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment.
Investigating more than 2,100 protected areas around the world, the analysis discovered that less than a quarter report having adequate resources in terms of staffing and budget. Then, the authors of the study looked at nearly 12,000 species of terrestrial amphibians, birds, and mammals whose ranges include protected areas and found only 4 to 9 percent are represented within the borders of the adequately resourced Pas.
One of the co-authors of the study, Dr. James Watson of WCS and the University of Queensland, said that this analysis reveals that most protected areas are poorly funded and therefore, failing to protect wildlife on a scale sufficient to stave off the global decline in biodiversity. Dr. Watson explained further that nations need to do much more to ensure that protected areas fulfill their role as a primary tool to mitigate the growing biodiversity crisis.
The team of researchers acknowledges that countries are on target to fulfill a global commitment of setting aside 17 percent of terrestrial areas and 10 percent of the marine realm as Pas by 2020 (known as Aichi Target 11 of the Convention on Biological Diversity). The findings, however, show that protected areas are grossly under-funded and that directly measuring the amount of area protected is insufficient conserving biodiversity.
In their opinion, the authors recommend the use of a limited set of simple, robust indicators that capture the essence of adequate PA resourcing and management. These indicators should be used for reporting toward international targets, prioritizing conservation actions, and achieving new PA standards such as the IUCN's Green List.
Watson explained that while the continued expansion of the world's protected areas is necessary, a shift in emphasis from quality over quantity is crucial to respond to the current biodiversity crisis effectively. If metrics of management effectiveness are not included in measurements of progress toward targets 11 before 2020, there is a risk of mistakenly reporting success in achieving Target 11, and sending a false message that sufficient resources are being committed to biodiversity protection.
Protected areas offer the core of the last remaining strongholds for nature on planet Earth. In case the efforts to hold on to these last intact natural areas remain inadequate, life as we know it will be threatened. Authorities in charge need to emphasize on building capacity, increasing and sustaining financial resources, scaling up conservation interventions, and improving overall effectiveness.
