The world is on track to meet a 2020 target on the expansion of protected areas, but more work is needed to ensure areas of importance for biodiversity and ecosystem services are prioritized for protection under equitably managed conditions, according to a new United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report released today at the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) World Parks Congress.

 

The report finds that 15.4 per cent of terrestrial and inland water areas and 3.4 per cent of the global ocean are now protected-highlighting growing global awareness of the need to safeguard the natural resources that will play a crucial role in the upcoming Sustainable Development Goals.

 

The second in a series tracking progress toward meeting Target 11 of the Convention on Biological Diversity's Aichi Biodiversity Targets, the report finds that 1.6 million km2 of new protected areas have been designated since 2012. Since 2010, the total additional global coverage equates to 6.1 million km2-an area approaching the size of Australia.

 

Target 11 calls for effectively and equitably managed conservation areas covering at least 17 per cent of the world's terrestrial areas and ten per cent of marine areas-especially areas of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystem services-by 2020.

Terrestrial protected area coverage has increased by about one million km2 since 2010, 126,000 km2 of which came since 2012. In total, 20.6 million km2 of terrestrial and inland water areas are now covered. To cover 17 per cent of terrestrial and inland waters, 2.2 million additional km2 of protected areas are needed.

 

Just over six million km2 of marine protected areas have been added since 2010, with 1.5 million km2 of this total coming since 2012. In total, 12 million km2 of the global ocean is now covered.

 

While marine areas are lagging terrestrial areas in attaining the target, real progress has been made in areas within coastal waters and national jurisdiction-reaching coverage of 10.9 per cent and 8.4 per cent respectively.

 

However, only 0.25 per cent of seas beyond national jurisdiction are covered by marine protected areas, demonstrating a gap in conservation efforts and highlighting the urgent need to overcome challenges in establishing such areas where national governance systems do not exist.

 

To meet the ten per cent target in areas within national jurisdiction, a further 2.2 million km2 of marine areas will be required. In addition, 21.5 million km2 in the high seas need to be protected for the target of 10 per cent to be attained.

 

See more at: http://www.unep.org/newscentre/Default.aspx?DocumentID=2812&ArticleID=11070&l=en#sthash.825PftnD.dpuf