Oil, gas, and mining industries pose growing threats to critical ecosystems in the Amazon Basin, Congo Basin, and Southeast Asia, a report has found.
Industrial projects could happen in areas that are crucial for nature, threatening biodiversity and Indigenous communities, said the “Closing Window of Opportunity” report co-published by organisations including the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA).
These operations are threatening 500 Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs), 180 million hectares of high-integrity forests, and 30 mln hectares of Indigenous territories, said the report, which mapped out these issues.
These regions are essential for regulating the global climate, yet they face escalating industrial pressure that could push ecosystems past critical tipping points.
“We are at a crossroads: we can either act now to safeguard the natural systems that sustain life or keep on the business-as-usual train speeding towards a cliff,” said Tyson Miller, executive director of co-author Earth Insight.
As these industries grow, the opportunity to protect ecosystems and Indigenous territories is shrinking, the report said.
“Protected and conserved areas are essential strategies to address both the climate crisis and biodiversity loss. As important carbon sinks, they will be increasingly vital to help us cope with climate change impacts,” said Madhu Rao, chair of IUCN WCPA.
Source: Closing Window of Opportunity report
INDIGENOUS RECOGNITION
To halt the advance of industrial exploitation, governments should expand protected areas, respect Indigenous sovereignty, and increase conservation funding by 2025, the report said.
Industrial expansion in multiple areas are threatening to encroach on lands home to Indigenous Peoples living in voluntary isolation, it said.
“There is an urgent need to address the nature and climate crises. Expanding recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ rights and territories is essential to this global goal,” said Jennifer Corpuz, expert at co-author the International Indigenous Forum on Biodiversity.
“Indigenous Peoples must have a seat at the table and access to financial solutions and direct and increased access to biodiversity and climate finance when it comes to priorities related to nature and climate change,” said Corpuz.
The report was co-written by Earth Insight, IIFB, the International Union for Conservation of Nature WCPA, Campaign for Nature, One Earth, and Wild Heritage.
An estimated 721,000 hectares of forest was cleared for mining in Indonesia between 2001 and 2023, analysis found in July.
By Thomas Cox – t.cox@carbon-pulse.com
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