Population growth will push humans into wildlife habitats, study says

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🗞️ Driving the news: A new study predicts that by 2070, the overlap between human and wildlife populations will increase across 57% of Earth's land
• This growing overlap is primarily due to expanding human settlements into previously undeveloped areas, not because of climate-induced animal migration
• The resulting conflicts could lead to more disease transmission, biodiversity loss, and increased human-wildlife conflicts

🔭 The context: Researchers assessed future human-wildlife interactions using an index that factors in human population growth and the habitats of 22,374 terrestrial species
• Significant increases in overlap are expected in high-density regions like China and India and biodiversity-rich forests in Africa and South America
• The study emphasizes that while overlap can lead to conflict, it can also provide benefits, such as wildlife aiding in waste cleanup and pest control

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Increased overlap between humans and wildlife poses risks to biodiversity and ecosystem health, with potential consequences like higher disease transmission rates and greater human-wildlife conflicts
• Balancing human development with the preservation of these ecosystems is crucial for sustaining biodiversity and maintaining ecological services

⏭️ What's next: Conservation strategies will need to adapt to these changing dynamics, focusing on coexistence rather than separation
• Researchers advocate for innovative and inclusive approaches, as traditional methods of restricting human access to certain areas may no longer be viable
• Planning now could help ensure sustainable coexistence between human and wildlife populations

💬 One quote: “In many places around the world, more people will interact with wildlife in the coming decades and often those wildlife communities will comprise different kinds of animals than the ones that live there now.” – Neil Carter, Associate Professor of Environment and Sustainability

📈 One stat: Human-wildlife overlap is predicted to increase across 57% of global lands, but decrease across only 12%

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