Spark Spot

This might sound different but it is clearly determined that most wars on earth occur in rich biological regions. The study by leading international conservation scientists compared major conflict zones with the Earth’s 34 biodiversity hotspots identified by Conservation International . The hotspots are considered top conservation priorities because they contain the entire populations of more than half of all plant species and at least 42 percent of all vertebrates, and are highly threatened.

The richest storehouses of life on Earth are also the regions of the most human conflict and it tells us that these areas are essential for both biodiversity conservation and human well-being. Millions of the world’s poorest people live in hotspots and depend on healthy ecosystems for their survival, so there is a moral obligation in the form of political and social responsibility to protect these places and all the resources and services they provide.

The study found that more than 90 percent of major armed conflicts defined as those resulting in more than 1,000 deaths occurred in countries that contain one of the 34 biodiversity hotspots, while 81 percent took place within specific hotspots.

The consequences extend far beyond the actual fighting. War preparations and lingering post-conflict activities also have important implications for biodiversity hotspots and the people who live there.The fact that so many conflicts have occurred in areas of high biodiversity loss and natural resource degradation warrants much further investigation as to the underlying causes, and strongly highlights the importance of these areas for global security.

In total, the hotspots are home to a majority of the world’s 1.2 billion poorest people who rely on the resources and services provided by natural ecosystems for their daily survival. Environmental concerns tend to recede or collapse in times of social disruption, and conservation activities often get suspended during active conflicts.

The study concluded that international conservation groups and indeed the broader international community must develop and maintain programs in war-torn regions if they are to be effective in conserving global biodiversity and keeping ecosystems healthy.