Mining Threat to Tropical Ecosystems and Conservation Targets

A new study by the US-based environmental group Earth Insight has revealed that millions of hectares of protected tropical ecosystems are under severe threat due to overlapping mining, oil, and gas concessions, which could undermine global conservation goals.

Conservation Targets and Summit Expectations

Published ahead of the new round of UN biodiversity talks set to begin on October 18 in Yerevan, Armenia, the research indicates that government commitments are falling short of targets. During the COP17 meeting, a global assessment will be released showing the status of the '30x30' pledge, which aims to protect 30 percent of the world's land, freshwater, and oceans.

Areas Covered by Concessions

Earth Insight's analyses using spatial analysis methods revealed that oil and gas fields violate an area close to the size of France, spanning more than 61 million hectares. Additionally, mining concessions overlap with an additional 42.7 million hectares within protected areas.

Current Destruction and Risks

Some of the concessions examined within the scope of the research have already caused destruction in national parks, with Cambodia's Phnom Prich Wildlife Sanctuary losing 10,000 hectares due to open-pit mining. It is noted that a significant portion of the country's intact tropical forests faces the threat of mining and energy development.

Marine Biodiversity and Energy Crisis

It was stated that more than 40 percent of areas with critical marine biodiversity in the Amazon remain unprotected, a figure that exceeds 50 percent in Southeast Asia and Central America. As countries issue new concessions in efforts to increase energy security, the pressure on ecosystems continues to mount.