80 percent of world’s biodiversity hotspots contain human developments

By Mark Waghorn via SWNS

At least 80 percent of the world's biodiversity hotspots contain human developments, according to new research.

More than three-quarters have roads - with many likely to have power plants, mines and oil and gas pipes in the future.

This poses a growing threat to life on Earth. Nearly a third of all species are currently endangered due to logging, climate change and farming.

Biodiversity is the variety of animals, plants, fungi and micro-organisms like bacteria. They provide everything we need to survive - including fresh water, food and medicines.

Lead author Ash Simkins, a zoology Ph.D. student at Cambridge University, said: "It's concerning human developments exist in the vast majority of sites that have been identified as being critical for nature."

The team carried out the first-ever assessment of its kind in regions named KBAs (Key Biodiversity Areas).

They make up a global network of thousands of sites recognized internationally as the most critical locations for wildlife.

Infrastructure has been identified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as one of the greatest dangers.

It can cause loss of natural habitat, pollution, disturbance or hunting by humans, the spread of invasive species and mortality. There are also wider impacts beyond.

KBAs play a vital role in the health of ecological communities. They may contain species at high risk of extinction or be home to those found in only a few places.

An analysis of 15,150 on land found 80 percent had infrastructure - including combinations of roads (75%), power lines (37%) and urban areas (37%).

Potential future planned developments could lead to an additional 2,201 containing mines, rising from 754 to 2,955 - a nearly fourfold rise.

An additional 1,508 with oil and gas supply (from 2,081 to 3,589; 72% increase) and another 1,372 having power plants (from 233 to 1,605; 589% increase) - are also on the horizon.

Maps of KBAs were intersected with spatial datasets of different types of infrastructure that researchers categorized as transport, dams and reservoirs, natural resources, power lines and plants and urban areas.

Mr. Simkins said: "We recognize infrastructure is essential to human development but it's about building smartly.

"This means ideally avoiding or otherwise minimizing infrastructure in the most important locations for biodiversity.

"If the infrastructure must be there, then it should be designed to cause as little damage as possible and the impacts more than compensated for elsewhere."

Countries in South America, Africa and parts of South-east Asia are amongst the areas with the highest proportion of claims, concessions or planned development in their networks.

Mr. Simkins said: "It's also concerning to see in future, extensive mining and oil and gas related infrastructure is planned to be built in many of the world's most important sites for biodiversity."

Even technology to combat global warming - like solar panels and wind turbines - is dependent on mining for precious metals.

Mr. Simkins said: "We need smart solutions to the climate crisis whilst avoiding or minimizing negative impacts on biodiversity."

Infrastructure within a KBA varies in the degree to which it may drive a loss of biodiversity.

More research is required to find out the extent to which it affects wildlife and what measures are needed to reduce this.

Co-author Dr. Stuart Butchart said: "At the UN biodiversity COP15 meetings in Montreal last year, governments committed to halting human-induced extinctions.

"Widespread destruction or degradation of the natural habitats within KBAs could lead to wholesale extinctions, so existing infrastructure in KBAs must be managed to minimize impacts and further development in these sites has to be avoided as far as possible."

Biodiversity is declining faster than at any time in human history. Since 1970, there has been on average almost a 70% drop in populations of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians.

One million animal and plant species - almost a quarter of the global total - are believed to be threatened with extinction.

Wendy Elliott, deputy leader for wildlife at WWF, said: "Infrastructure underpins our societies, delivering the water we drink, the roads we travel on, and the electricity that powers livelihoods.

"This study illustrates the crucial importance of ensuring smart infrastructure development that provides social and economic value for all, whilst ensuring positive outcomes for nature.

"Making this happen will be the challenge of our time, but with the right planning, design and commitment it is well within the realms of possibility."

The study is published in the journal Biological Conservation.