‘Design conservation with those who will live with it’: 30 by 30 in Africa
Perhaps the best-known target of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) is what’s commonly known as “30 by 30,” the aim to bring at least 30% of the world’s terrestrial, inland water, coastal and marine ecosystems into effective conservation and equitable management by the year 2030. According to Skytruth’s tracker, which combines multiple databases to […]
The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) aims to protect at least 30% of the world's land, inland water, coastal and marine ecosystems by 2030 – a target known as "30 by 30." African countries have made progress, securing 19.9% of terrestrial and 17.2% of marine areas, surpassing the global coverage of 18.7% of land and 10% of marine landscapes as of October 2026.
However, experts argue that reaching the 30% target is not enough to ensure the long-term survival of biodiversity. Daniel Marnewick, a conservation expert with the IUCN, emphasizes that conservation efforts must be socially legitimate, locally grounded, and sustainable over the long term. The primary challenge is the increasing pressure on land and natural resources from competing demands such as agriculture, infrastructure, energy, mining, and other economic development projects.
This conflict poses a significant obstacle for implementing effective conservation strategies across the African continent.
Written by urgent.news from Mongabay's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
