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Guerra en Sitios de Importancia para la Biodiversidad
Author(s) -
HANSON THOR,
BROOKS THOMAS M.,
DA FONSECA GUSTAVO A. B.,
HOFFMANN MICHAEL,
LAMOREUX JOHN F.,
MACHLIS GARY,
MITTERMEIER CRISTINA G.,
MITTERMEIER RUSSELL A.,
PILGRIM JOHN D.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
conservation biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.2
H-Index - 222
eISSN - 1523-1739
pISSN - 0888-8892
DOI - 10.1111/j.1523-1739.2009.01166.x
Subject(s) - biodiversity , biodiversity hotspot , geography , politics , biodiversity conservation , environmental planning , environmental resource management , political science , ecology , biology , environmental science , law
Conservation efforts are only as sustainable as the social and political context within which they take place. The weakening or collapse of sociopolitical frameworks during wartime can lead to habitat destruction and the erosion of conservation policies, but in some cases, may also confer ecological benefits through altered settlement patterns and reduced resource exploitation. Over 90% of the major armed conflicts between 1950 and 2000 occurred within countries containing biodiversity hotspots, and more than 80% took place directly within hotspot areas. Less than one‐third of the 34 recognized hotspots escaped significant conflict during this period, and most suffered repeated episodes of violence. This pattern was remarkably consistent over these 5 decades. Evidence from the war‐torn Eastern Afromontane hotspot suggests that biodiversity conservation is improved when international nongovernmental organizations support local protected area staff and remain engaged throughout the conflict. With biodiversity hotspots concentrated in politically volatile regions, the conservation community must maintain continuous involvement during periods of war, and biodiversity conservation should be incorporated into military, reconstruction, and humanitarian programs in the world's conflict zones.