Conservation

Nature conservation

Nature conservation is the ethical/moral philosophy and conservation movement focused on protecting species from extinction, maintaining and restoring habitats, enhancing ecosystem services, and protecting biological diversity. A range of values underlie conservation, which can be guided by biocentrism, anthropocentrism, ecocentrism, and sentientism, environmental ideologies that inform ecocultural practices and identities. There has recently been a movement towards evidence-based conservation which calls for greater use of scientific evidence to improve the effectiveness of conservation efforts. As of 2018 15% of land and 7.3% of the oceans were protected. Many environmentalists set a target of protecting 30% of land and marine territory by 2030. In 2021, 16.64% of land and 7.9% of the oceans were protected. The 2022 IPCC report on climate impacts and adaptation, underlines the need to conserve 30% to 50% of the Earth's land, freshwater and ocean areas – echoing the 30% goal of the U.N.'s Convention on Biodiversity. Protecting nature is important for keeping ecosystems stable and resilient. Diverse ecosystems offer vital services that help people and support a healthy environment.

Wetland conservation

Wetland conservation is the protection and preservation of land including marshes, swamps, bogs, and fens that are covered by water either seasonally or permanently. Wetlands are threatened by both natural and anthropogenic hazards, such as climate change, pollution, and the introduction of invasive species. Wetlands cover at least six percent of the Earth and have become a focal issue for conservation due to the ecosystem services they provide. They provide essential habitat for various species of wildlife, purify polluted waters, and mitigate the damaging effects of floods and storms. Furthermore, they offer a diverse range of recreational activities, including fishing, hunting, photography, and wildlife observation. More than three billion people, around half the world's population, obtain their basic water needs from inland freshwater wetlands.

conservation

Noun

1. The act of preserving, guarding, or protecting; the keeping (of a thing) in a safe or entire state; preservation.
2. Wise use of natural resources.