Global Land Protection Nears 30% Target, New Research Shows

New research indicates that approximately 27% of the world's land is currently under some form of protection, significantly closer to the international goal of 30% by 2030 than previous estimates of 19%. This updated figure includes "other effective area-based conservation measures" (OECMs), such as lands managed by Indigenous groups, which were not formally tracked before. This re-evaluation highlights broader conservation efforts and their potential contribution to global biodiversity targets.