An international study published in Nature Ecology and Evolution revealed the crisis of abandoning conservation measures in protected areas, a phenomenon that occurs when initiatives reduce their scope, weaken their level of protection, or even completely reverse it over time.
This process jeopardizes key ecosystems, the benefits they provide to people, and the environmental protection goals agreed upon globally.
A critical phenomenon for climate goals
The study, led by scientists from Imperial College London, the University of Kent, the University of Sydney, and the Millennium Institute of Coastal Socio-Ecology (SECOS), warns that the abandonment of conservation is a silent but critical phenomenon for achieving climate action goals by 2030, currently discussed at the COP30 in Brazil.
The concept of “conservation abandonment” refers to public, private, or community initiatives that cease to meet their protection objectives. Even when they remain inactive or without proper management, these initiatives are often still considered operational, which artificially inflates global conservation progress.
International context: agreements and commitments
In response to the biodiversity crisis, in 2022 196 countries adopted the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, committing to protect 30% of the planet by 2030 against extractive activities such as mining or industrial fishing. This agreement, along with the Paris Agreement, drives new conservation initiatives, although their continuity and effectiveness remain uncertain.
“We are seeing a huge global push to expand conservation action, driven by billions of dollars in public and private investments. But we understand very little about how long those measures last or how to ensure their continuity,” explained Dr. Tom Pienkowski, co-leader of the study.
Regional examples: the case of Chile
Conservation abandonment occurs in multiple contexts and countries. In Chile, for example, the allocation of territorial rights to artisanal fishermen aimed to promote sustainable extraction and the conservation of coastal ecosystems. However, between 1998 and 2021, 22% of territorial use agreements were discontinued due to non-compliance with requirements.
“These abandonment rates reveal gaps in public policy but also highlight opportunities to strengthen support for organizations and ensure lasting ecological and social impacts,” said María Ignacia Rivera, SECOS researcher and co-author of the study.
Global impacts and risks
The study warns that at least one-third of conservation initiatives are abandoned after just a couple of years of implementation, compromising the progress announced at international events like the COP. Recovering ecosystems can take decades, so the discontinuity of projects represents a serious blind spot in conservation policy and science.
“Without documenting these patterns, we not only risk overestimating conservation achievements but also losing opportunities to learn and improve decision-making,” added Rivera.
Urgent call for a global monitoring system
The authors call for the creation of a global monitoring system for conservation abandonment, accompanied by:
- More robust and sustainable financing models.
- Policies focused on verifiable results.
- Tools to systematically track community and state initiatives.
This call is especially relevant in the current political context, where some countries have reduced public funds for conservation or have withdrawn from international agreements, as happened in Brazil and the United States in recent years.
Conservation abandonment is an underestimated global problem that threatens to compromise climate and biodiversity goals by 2030. Documenting this phenomenon and studying its causes will allow for the design of more resilient strategies, anticipate risks, and ensure that conservation efforts have lasting impacts.
