The Effectiveness of Protected Areas in Combating Deforestation
Context:
Protected areas (PAs) are crucial for fighting climate change and conserving biodiversity. However, a recent study published in the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management found they are less effective than previously thought at preventing deforestation.
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The importance of PAs was emphasised in the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Strategic Plan for Biodiversity (2011–2020) and highlighted in Target 3 of the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which aims to protect 30% of the world’s lands and waters by 2030.
Protected areas—such as national parks, nature reserves, and community conserved areas—are essential for biodiversity conservation and support local livelihoods. They provide vital services like food, clean water, and protection from natural disasters, while also helping to mitigate climate change by storing about 15% of terrestrial carbon.
Key Highlights:
- The research, conducted by a professor of economics at the Institute for Climate Risk and Response at the University of New South Wales, analysed over 300,000 protected areas globally from 2000 to 2022.
- Using a statistical method known as regression discontinuity design (RDD), the study found that protected areas are, on average, only 30% effective in slowing deforestation.
- While this indicates some positive impact, it is insufficient for safeguarding critical ecosystems.
Varied Effectiveness Across Regions:
- Brazil: Approximately 35% effective.
- Africa: In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, effectiveness rates were close to zero, with countries like Gabon and Madagascar reporting around 10%.
- Asia: Malaysia’s protected areas showed 56% effectiveness, while Indonesia’s were only 11%.
- Countries like Papua New Guinea, Myanmar, and the Philippines have faced challenges, with their PAs showing limited effectiveness.
- In developed countries, PAs performed better; however, Australia’s effectiveness dropped from 70% to 25% after major bushfires.
- The study emphasises the need for more investigations into the relationship between PAs and forest loss to improve conservation strategies.
Challenges to Effectiveness:
- The study highlighted several reasons for the limited success of protected areas. Poor monitoring, weak enforcement, and inadequate funding were identified as significant hurdles.
- Previous studies corroborated that merely designating areas as protected does not ensure actual protection.
- Moreover, larger protected areas tended to experience higher rates of forest loss, raising questions about the management and oversight of these spaces.
- The researchers emphasised the urgent need to rethink forest protection strategies, particularly in regions with high deforestation rates.
Recommendations for Improvement:
- Expanding REDD+ schemes: Designed to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation.
- Increasing foreign aid: Providing financial support to bolster forest conservation efforts.
- Utilising real-time satellite alerts: Implementing technology to monitor forest loss in real-time.
