This dashboard provides a global snapshot of how national environmental protection laws and conservation initiatives relate to biodiversity richness. It uses only reputable, up-to-date data from sources like the World Bank, IBAT, GBIF, IUCN, UNEP, and the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The dashboard is designed to help policymakers, investors, and the public understand where biodiversity is most concentrated, how well it is legally protected, and where gaps remain. While global biodiversity is concentrated in a handful of countries, legal protection and policy commitment vary widely. Achieving the world’s biodiversity goals will require both expanding protected areas and strengthening the legal frameworks that safeguard nature-especially in the countries where biodiversity is richest and most at risk.
Global Commitments and Legal Frameworks
- Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF): 196 countries have agreed to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030, marking the most ambitious global biodiversity pact to date.
- “30 by 30” Target: Only 49% of countries have formally committed to protecting at least 30% of their land and sea by 2030, a key goal of the GBF.
National Protection Efforts
- Protected Land Leaders: Venezuela leads globally with 53% of its land under legal protection, followed by French Guiana and Luxembourg (both above 45%).
- Biodiversity Hotspots: The Amazon Basin remains the world’s largest biodiversity hotspot, but not all Amazonian countries have strong legal protections or “30 by 30” commitments.
Correlation Between Biodiversity and Protection
- Scatter Plot: The chart shows that some of the world’s most biodiverse countries (like Brazil and Indonesia) have relatively low percentages of protected land (15–29%), while some countries with high legal protection (like Venezuela) are not at the very top of biodiversity rankings.
- Key Insight: There is no perfect correlation: high biodiversity does not always mean strong legal protection, and vice versa. Many biodiversity-rich countries have significant gaps in legal protection, and global progress toward ambitious targets is uneven.
National Laws and Initiatives
- The table details major biodiversity-rich countries, their biodiversity rank, % of land protected, “30 by 30” pledge status, and key national laws (e.g., Brazil’s SNUC, Indonesia’s Law 5/1990, Australia’s EPBC Act).
- This highlights the diversity and patchwork of national approaches to conservation, even among countries with similar ecological value.
Global Progress
- The bar chart reveals that just under half of countries have made a formal “30 by 30” pledge, underscoring the need for accelerated policy action to meet global biodiversity goals.