When Saving Nature Here Hurts Nature There: The Challenge of Biodiversity Leakage

1. A new paper in the journal Science titled Time to fix the biodiversity leak highlights a global issue of biodiversity leakage  related to nature restoration efforts.
2. Some countries are restoring nature or reintroducing wildlife in their farmlands (called rewilding).
3. This can reduce their own agricultural production.
4. To meet the demand for food, other countries may expand farming.
5. This expansion can involve cutting down forests or harming natural ecosystems.
6. As a result, even though one country benefits the environment, another may suffer environmental damage.
7. Overall, this can lead to a net loss in global biodiversity, not a gain.
8. Local conservation wins can be cancelled out by environmental damage in other regions.
    

Key Concerns with Global Biodiversity Efforts
 

1. Ambitious global targets like the GBF 30×30 and the EU Biodiversity & Forestry Strategies aim to conserve nature.
2. However, there is a risk that local conservation success may be undermined by biodiversity leakage
    

What is Biodiversity Leakage?
 

1. It occurs when harmful activities (like farming or logging) are pushed out of protected areas and shifted to other locations.
2. These "off-site damages" can:
   1. Be less than the local gains → efforts still have a positive but reduced impact.
   2. Be greater than the local gains (especially if shifted to more biodiverse or less productive areas) → leads to net harm.
       

1. UK Farmland Restoration & Soy Leakage

1. The UK initiates a large-scale restoration of farmland (e.g., 1,000 km²) to meet biodiversity goals.
2. This reduces domestic production of crops like wheat, barley, and rapeseed.
3. To meet demand, the UK increases soy imports from countries like Brazil.
4. Leakage: Brazil clears biodiverse land (e.g., Cerrado) to expand soy cultivation.
5. Result: Local biodiversity gain in the UK, but global biodiversity loss in Brazil.
    

2. Indonesia Palm Oil Regulation

1. Indonesia enforces strict limits on palm oil expansion to preserve its rainforests and wildlife.
2. Palm oil producers relocate operations to countries like Papua New Guinea or Cameroon.
3. These countries often lack strong forest governance.
4. Leakage: Tropical forests are cleared elsewhere to meet global palm oil demand.
5. Result: Local conservation in Indonesia, but biodiversity loss shifts abroad.
    

3. EU Rewilding & Beef Import Impact

1. Under the EU Green Deal, large areas of pasture are rewilded to restore ecosystems.
2. This reduces local beef production.
3. The EU compensates by increasing beef imports from Latin America (e.g., Brazil, Argentina).
4. Leakage: More forest and savannah lands are converted into cattle ranches in South America.
5. Result: Positive rewilding in the EU, but forest loss in biodiversity-rich areas.
    

4. Canada’s Logging Ban & Timber Leakage

1. Canada restricts logging to protect boreal forest biodiversity and meet climate goals.
2. Global demand for timber remains unchanged.
3. Timber companies shift sourcing to Russia, Southeast Asia, or the Congo Basin.
4. Leakage: These regions face increased illegal or unsustainable logging.
5. Result: Conservation in Canada, but biodiversity pressure intensifies elsewhere.
    

5. North American Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)

1. The US and Canada establish large marine reserves to conserve fish populations.
2. Fishing fleets are displaced and move operations to West African or Indian Ocean waters.
3. These regions often have weaker fisheries regulation and enforcement.
4. Leakage: Overfishing in vulnerable marine ecosystems abroad.
5. Result: Healthy fish stocks at home, but marine biodiversity risk elsewhere.
    

Measures to Mitigate Biodiversity Leakage
 

1. Track Production Changes in Intervention Areas

• Regularly monitor changes in food, fibre, or wood output to detect possible leakage effects early.
   

2. Scrutinise ‘Zero-Loss’ Claims
   • Examine projects that claim minimal production loss to see if leakage was genuinely avoided or just displaced elsewhere.
      
3. Incorporate Leakage into Policies
   • • Design national and international biodiversity strategies to consider both local and cross-border leakage impacts.
        
4. Reduce Demand for High-Leakage Goods
   • Focus on lowering consumption of commodities like soy, beef, and palm oil that are often linked to biodiversity loss.
      
5. Choose Low-Risk Conservation Sites
   • • Prioritise areas for restoration where production displacement — and thus leakage — is likely to be minimal.
        
6. Boost Yields Near Protected Zones
   • Improve agricultural or forestry productivity in surrounding areas to make up for production lost due to conservation.
      

While global conservation and restoration efforts are vital to reversing biodiversity loss, they can unintentionally shift environmental pressures elsewhere — a phenomenon known as biodiversity leakage. If not addressed, this can undermine the very goals these initiatives aim to achieve.
 

To ensure that local gains translate into global ecological benefits, it is essential to:

• Recognize leakage as a real and measurable risk,
• Incorporate it into policy and planning, and
• Promote sustainable production and consumption worldwide.
   

A truly effective biodiversity strategy must look beyond borders — because nature does not recognize them.
 

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