Hyderabad: Despite the growing number of nature reserves, national parks and other protected areas across the globe, half of the world`s richest bio-diversity zones remain entirely unprotected, a report by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) said.
The report was presented at the ongoing UN convention on biological diversity here today.
Two years ago, countries set a goal under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) that by 2020 at least 17 per cent of the world`s terrestrial areas and 10 per cent of marine areas would be equitably managed and conserved, a release issued by UNEP said.
The protected planet report 2012 says that protected areas have increased in number by almost 60 per cent, and in area by just under 50 per cent, since 1990.
But, poor management, under-funding and a lack of critical data on protected areas mean that the world is making insufficient progress towards the 2020 goals, the release added.
PTI
