Biodiversity Leak (Biodiversity Leakage)

GS Paper III Environment & Ecology

Recently, a study published in Science journal highlighted biodiversity leakages happening across the globe.

About Biodiversity Leak

Biodiversity leakage refers to Displacement of biodiversity-damaging activities from one region to another due to conservation policies.
When one country protects or restores natural areas production often shifts to other, often more biodiverse regions, leading to net biodiversity loss globally.
This occurs mainly in agriculture and forestry sectors where habitat restoration in one place increases demand for imports elsewhere causing deforestation and land degradation in other countries.

Countries are expanding protected areas to meet biodiversity targets under:
- Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework aims to protect 30% of land and sea by 2030.
- European Green Deal & Biodiversity Strategy 2030 aims to reverse ecosystem degradation.
Reducing agricultural land in wealthy nations lowers local food production Which in turn increases demand for imports, often from biodiverse regions.
This shifts environmental damage elsewhere, negating the benefits of conservation.

Biodiversity Leak

Also Read
UPSC Daily Editorials	UPSC Daily Current Affairs
Daily Current Affairs Quiz	Daily Main Answer Writing
Check Out Previous Years Papers From PW Store	UPSC Test Series
Check Out UPSC NCERT Textbooks From PW Store	Check Out UPSC Modules From PW Store