A new way to measure the world's protected area coverage

Area of Science:

• Conservation science
• Biodiversity protection
• Environmental policy

Background:

• Protected areas are crucial for halting biodiversity loss.
• Area-based metrics for protected areas do not account for placement bias due to human needs.
• This bias often leads to protected areas being located in less desirable regions for development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce an economic metric, the Gini coefficient, for evaluating the equity of protected area distribution.
• To assess the extent of inequitable biodiversity protection across countries.
• To propose improved reporting metrics for protected area coverage.

Main Methods:

• Adapted the Gini coefficient, an economic inequality measure, to analyze protected area distribution.
• Evaluated protected area data globally.
• Compared results with traditional area-based coverage metrics.

Main Results:

• 73% of countries exhibit inequitable protection of biodiversity based on the modified Gini coefficient.
• Standard metrics for protected area coverage fail to reveal this significant bias.
• The Gini coefficient provides a more nuanced understanding of conservation efforts.

Conclusions:

• The Gini coefficient offers a valuable tool for assessing the equity of protected area networks.
• Integrating the Gini coefficient with area-based metrics enhances reporting on conservation progress.
• This approach can lead to more effective and equitable biodiversity representation in protected areas worldwide.