Hear from the authors
Get more insight from the BES report’s authors on what’s needed to transform protected areas for nature recovery
30 by 30 in 30
A lightning introduction to everything you need to know about the 30×30 target from Constance Schéré of King’s College London.
Why do protected areas matter?
Chloë Metcalfe of UCL explains that the UK government has pledged to protect 30% of our land and seas by 2030 to support the recovery of nature. This commitment is otherwise known as the 30×30 target.
A suite of area-based conservation measures, including protected areas (PAs) and other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) will be essential towards achieving this target. Failure to achieve this could lead to an irrecoverable decline in biodiversity, and losses of ecosystem functions, such as wave regulation or woodlands that can slow surface water (the loss of which could lead to widespread flooding and landslides).
What should count towards the 30 by 30 target?
The UK government has committed to protecting 30% of land and seas by 2030. But what should count towards this target?
Becky Turner of the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology and the University of Kent tells us about the four criteria recommended in this report on protected areas.
Protected areas: achieving the “30×30” target
Dr Nick Isaac of the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology explains what tools and mechanisms will be necessary in order to reach 30% of protected land and seas by 2030, and discusses the notion of ‘effectiveness’.
It’s clear that protected areas have a central role in delivering the government’s ambitions for nature recovery in the UK, and that 30×30 is an important lever by which protected areas can become more effective. However, designation in itself is not sufficient – areas need to be properly protected from external pressures.
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