Description

Copyright infringement not intended

Picture Courtesy: DOWNTOEARTH

Context

A study published in the journal 'Communications Earth & Environment' indicates that the low-density, sprawling growth of rural settlements is more damaging to natural ecosystems than concentrated urban expansion.

Key Findings of the Study

Analyzing global land-use data from 2000 to 2020, research indicates that the slow, widespread growth in rural areas has a more damaging ecological footprint than the expansion of dense, visible cities.

Metric of Impact	Rural Settlement Impact	Urban Settlement Impact
Biodiversity Loss	Responsible for 3.5 times more biodiversity loss than Urban expansion.	Comparatively lower due to compact growth.
Land Conversion (2000-2020)	Expanded into 2.3 times more natural and semi-natural land.	Less land converted due to vertical and dense expansion.
Threat to Critical Habitats	Encroachment into Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) was 3.7 times faster.	Slower rate of encroachment into KBAs.
Geographical Hotspot	Asia accounts for over half of all biodiversity loss from settlement expansion, with India and China being major contributors.

Why Rural Expansion is a Greater Threat?

Habitat Fragmentation

Low-density development (farmhouses, roads, resorts) fragments large habitats, restricting wildlife movement, lowering genetic diversity, and increasing extinction risk.

Pervasive Edge Effects

Fragmentation boosts "edge effects" where human and natural habitats meet, leading to increased pollution, non-native species invasion, and altered microclimates, which degrades the remaining ecosystem.

Heightened Human-Wildlife Conflict (HWC)

Expanding settlements into forests and wildlife corridors increases human-animal conflict, which is directly caused by habitat shrinkage due to agricultural and urban expansion.

Unregulated Resource Extraction

Rural expansion often enables small-scale but widespread illegal logging, quarrying, and resource harvesting, whose cumulative impact degrades ecosystems.

Source: DOWNTOEARTH

Attempt Daily Quiz

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q. Critically analyze the assertion that dispersed rural expansion poses a greater threat to biodiversity than concentrated urbanisation. 150 words

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Rural expansion is more harmful because it causes widespread habitat fragmentation, creates disruptive "edge effects," increases human-wildlife conflict by encroaching on natural habitats, and often facilitates unregulated, small-scale resource extraction that cumulatively degrades ecosystems.

The "30x30" target is a key goal of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. It aims to ensure that by the year 2030, at least 30% of the world's land, inland waters, and coastal and marine areas are effectively conserved and managed.

Habitat fragmentation breaks up large, contiguous natural areas into smaller, isolated "islands." This restricts animal movement, which is crucial for finding food and mates, reduces genetic diversity within populations, and can ultimately lead to localized extinctions.