HomePLANTS & ANIMALSECOLOGYLarger conservation areas failed to protect animals in Central Africa

Larger conservation areas failed to protect animals in Central Africa

The Ohio State University researchers found out that the efforts of protecting threatened and endangered species in central Africa could have been more successful if the policy makers have focused on a smaller geographic area.

The researchers examined the seven main savanna national parks of central Africa and found out that larger conservation efforts are decreasing the population of threatened and endangered animals. As the lands are too large to be maintained properly due to financial resources.

Researchers also found to that to maintain the animals properly more funding is needed.

The researchers evaluated the regions of central Africa where 25% of the land had already been set aside for conservation.

Previously these regions were under self-funding protective measures but as tourism have collapsed due to COVID-19, the international community has taken no step to fill the financial gap.

All these regions that the scientists have selected has been dedicated to conservation for over 50 years. The researchers showed elephants, giraffes, buffalo and 10 antelope species have declined in numbers despite the lands have been selected for conservation.

Scientists also found out that political instability and insecurity in central Africa played a major role to affect the security of the animals.

In one of these protected areas, the researchers found, the available funding does not cover the cost of protecting the boundaries of the conservation areas.

Conservation areas increased throughout the world after Convention on Biological Diversity summit in 2010. At the summit, world leaders have agreed on expanding 17% of the world’s land surface by 2020.

Even though the goal of this summit was noble, but the cost was high. The researchers estimated it would cost about $75 billion to manage those areas across the world. This proves that until the international community increases funding for conservation, protecting larger areas would not be possible for low-income countries.

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