UNESCO's global network of protected sites, covering over 13 million square kilometers, is a critical lifeline for a planet in peril. The first-of-its-kind report shows these sites are home to more than 60 percent of all mapped species on Earth, with 40 percent found nowhere else.
"These sites are delivering for both people and nature," stated UNESCO Director-General Khaled El-Enany. "Biodiversity is holding on while it collapses elsewhere." These landscapes also store an estimated 240 gigatons of carbon, vital in combating climate change.
Nearly 900 million people live within these territories, where over 1,000 languages are spoken, and a quarter of the sites overlap with Indigenous Peoples' lands.
However, the report warns that nearly 90 percent of these sites face intense environmental stress, with climate-related hazards increasing by 40 percent in a decade. Experts predict a quarter of UNESCO sites could hit a "tipping point" by 2050.
UNESCO calls for greater global ambition, urging governments to treat these sites as strategic assets. Key strategies include restoring damaged ecosystems, cross-border wildlife protection, and empowering Indigenous Peoples and local communities as leaders in conservation.