Report maps extractive blocks overlapping conservation areas
The story at a glance
An Earth Insight-led report estimates that millions of hectares of protected and conserved areas in the tropical countries it analysed overlap with oil and gas blocks or mining concessions. It also identifies gaps in protection for terrestrial and marine Key Biodiversity Areas.123
The findings raise questions about the effectiveness of the global 30x30 target, which aims to protect 30% of nature by 2030. The report maps exposure to extractive activity, not proof that every overlapping block is operating or that the area has suffered ecological damage.123
The story in brief
What you need to know
- The report estimates that more than 61.5 million hectares of protected and conserved areas overlap with oil and gas blocks, while 42.7 million hectares overlap with mining concessions. These are mapped overlaps across the tropical countries analysed.123
- Protection gaps vary by region. More than 40% of identified terrestrial Key Biodiversity Areas in the Amazon, 29% in the Congo Basin, and more than 50% in Southeast Asia and Central America remain outside protection, according to the report.12
- For marine sites, the report identifies 91 million hectares of Key Biodiversity Areas outside protected areas across the regions analysed. It says oil and gas blocks threaten 19% of those areas.12
- The mapped overlap indicates potential pressure, not measured damage. The blocks and concessions include ongoing and planned activity, and the available reporting does not establish that all are active or legally incompatible with conservation designations.123
- The report recommends prioritising biodiversity outcomes, restricting extractive activity in protected and conserved areas, and recognising and resourcing Indigenous Peoples’ and local communities’ rights and governance. These are recommendations, not evidence of new protections being put in place.12
Conservation context
Why this matters
The findings highlight that counting designated area alone may not show whether conservation is effective. The report and news coverage frame extractive overlap as a concern for delivering the 30x30 target, while emphasising that protection and governance matter alongside area coverage.123
The developing story
What happens next
The report calls for governments to adopt stronger restrictions and rights-based measures, but the supplied reporting does not establish whether they will do so. Whether such measures are adopted, enforced and produce conservation outcomes remains unresolved.12
Established evidence
What we know
- The analysis examines overlap in tropical countries between extractive blocks and protected or conserved areas, as well as protection gaps for Key Biodiversity Areas.12
- The report, Mongabay and Reuters’ coverage all present the overlap as a concern for the effectiveness of the 30x30 target, rather than treating area coverage alone as sufficient.123
- The news reports draw on the same Earth Insight-led analysis. Their agreement does not amount to separate independent measurements of the mapped overlap.123
Open questions
What we don't know
- The reporting does not establish which overlapping blocks and concessions are active, planned or inactive, or which are legally incompatible with the relevant conservation designation.123
- The supplied material does not set out the spatial datasets, cut-off dates and overlap rules in enough detail to assess how sensitive the estimates are to those choices.12
- It remains unclear how much of the mapped overlap has led to documented habitat loss, pollution or other ecological impacts.123
- The reporting does not show whether governments will adopt and enforce the proposed exclusions and rights-based measures, or what outcomes would follow.12
Source coverage
