Planet Earth needs more protected zones

Dubai: There are not enough protected zones on the planet, a leading expert and scientist said, but creating more can cause conflict between communities and conservationists.

Only 12 per cent of the earth's surface has been put aside to protect plant and animal biodiversity, and of that only 1 per cent is for marine protection, the rest is land-based conservation.

There is a growing concern about the effectiveness of protected areas, said Dr Mutasim Bashir Nimir, director of the United Nations Development Programme's Sudanese Government Development Project at the Dinder National Park in Sudan, and an active environmentalist, speaking at the monthly lecture of the Emirates Environment Group.

"Conflict between conservation and communities are growing in developing countries, and also between protected areas and development in developed countries."

He cited the Dinder National Park in Sudan as an example, where conservation policies and development priorities are being set up to tackle such challenges.

The focus and objectives of having environmentally protected areas differ between countries, however, the actual need for them, and the need for the sustainable use of natural resources is clear across the board, said Nimir.

Many countries have long-established protected areas, some are only now beginning to look at protected areas as conservation hotspots, and sometimes as the key to economic development, he added.

Conflict issues between conservation policies, communities and development is a big challenge. "For example, if a forest is declared a protected area and access is denied to communities living within its boundaries or peripheries, it might cut off their lifeblood by denying them access to their livelihood and resources that they have enjoyed for generations, in turn perpetuating poverty and marginalising of local communities. It can also potentially create incendiary situations and make conservation initiatives counter-productive and undevelopmental," said Nimir.

In some cases, it is often local communities that have their traditions and cultures rooted in the local biodiversity. Some tribal communities have been successful in living sustainably off the ecosystem services and products available to them while protecting certain species of flora or fauna.