COP17: Open letter urges governments to keep extractives out of protected areas

YEREVAN, Armenia — Over 80 conservation, Indigenous and civil society groups have urged governments attending the COP17 U.N. biodiversity summit in Armenia to exclude mining, oil and gas operations from protected areas. The organizations warn that meeting numerical targets will amount to nothing if conservation zones remain vulnerable to industrial activities, as stated in a joint letter released ahead of COP17 on October 2.

According to a report by Earth Insight and partners, nearly 62 million hectares (153 million acres) of protected and conserved areas in the tropics overlap with oil and gas blocks, while mining concessions cover 43 million hectares (106 million acres). World leaders pledged in 2022 to safeguard 30% of the planet's land and waters by 2030, known as "30×30" or Target 3 of the Global Biodiversity Framework.

The signatories insist that this commitment must be realized "not just on paper, but in reality." Conservation officials argue that mining has no business in protected and conserved areas. "Protected areas are protected areas," Nadège Nzoyem, WWF's Congo Basin regional director, told Mongabay. Madhu Rao, chair of the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas, concurred, stating that "some places are so critical that they have to be protected against extractive industries."

The head of Nigeria's National Park Service also acknowledged the challenges posed by illegal mining and insecurity in the country's national parks.