A global-level assessment of the effectiveness of protected areas at resisting anthropogenic pressures

One-sixth of the global terrestrial surface nowfallswithin protected areas (PAs), making it essential to understand how far they mitigate the increasing pressures on nature which characterize the Anthropocene. In by far the largest analysis of this question to date and not restricted to forested PAs...

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Published inProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS Vol. 116; no. 46; pp. 23209 - 23215
Main Authors Geldmann, Jonas, Manica, Andrea, Burgess, Neil D., Coad, Lauren, Balmford, Andrew
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States National Academy of Sciences 12.11.2019
Subjects
Agricultural land
Anthropocene
Anthropogenic factors
Biological Sciences
Conservation of Natural Resources
Human performance
Humans
Models, Statistical
Pressure
Protected areas
Tropical environment
Tropical environments
management effectiveness
counterfactual
human footprint
Human Development Index
impact assessment
Online AccessGet full text
ISSN0027-8424
1091-6490
1091-6490
DOI10.1073/pnas.1908221116

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Summary:One-sixth of the global terrestrial surface nowfallswithin protected areas (PAs), making it essential to understand how far they mitigate the increasing pressures on nature which characterize the Anthropocene. In by far the largest analysis of this question to date and not restricted to forested PAs, we compiled data from 12,315 PAs across 152 countries to investigate their ability to reduce human pressure and how this varies with socioeconomic and management circumstances. While many PAs show positive outcomes, strikingly we find that compared with matched unprotected areas, PAs have on average not reduced a compound index of pressure change over the past 15 y. Moreover, in tropical regions average pressure change from cropland conversion has increased inside PAs even more than in matched unprotected areas. However, our results also confirm previous studies restricted to forest PAs, where pressures are increasing, but less than in counterfactual areas. Our results also show that countries with high national-level development scores have experienced lower rates of pressure increase over the past 15 y within their PAs compared with a matched outside area. Our results caution against the rapid establishment of new PAs without simultaneously addressing the conditions needed to enable their success.
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Edited by Anthony J. Bebbington, Clark University, Worcester, MA, and approved September 30, 2019 (received for review May 13, 2019)
Author contributions: J.G. designed the research with input from A.B.; J.G. performed research; J.G., N.D.B., and L.C. developed the data; J.G. and A.M. analyzed data; and J.G., A.M., N.D.B., L.C., and A.B. wrote the paper.
ISSN:0027-8424
1091-6490
1091-6490
DOI:10.1073/pnas.1908221116