What is nature conservation?
Nature. Everything that lives and exists around us, from the smallest beetle to the largest biosphere reserves, embraces our world. An infinity that has pulsated with us since ancient times, with which we once lived in strong symbiosis. There is no life without nature. There is no developmental or economic goal that can override the ancient laws of our planet with impunity, and there is no written or unwritten law that can authorize any of us to rule over nature.
Yet mankind still decided to rule over it, using valuable natural resources until depletion, and clearing large areas of nature for other purposes. This happened until the planet got tired of it and sent clear signals: so far and no more! There has been too much damage and too much loss, which threatens the entire community of life in our world with unforeseeable consequences, including human societies. Therefore, a forward-looking, conscious action that considers the protection and preservation of the planet’s entire natural treasure as its main goal, came to the fore. A more important concept than ever before, and the vital practice behind it: nature conservation.
The purpose of nature conservation
In our everyday life, protecting the nature around us has become our primary task: living beings, natural communities, natural and close-to-nature areas, and the preservation of the natural landscape all fall under the scope of nature conservation. The purpose of nature conservation is to preserve the state, functionality, and biological diversity of the biosphere, and to prevent, mitigate and eliminate its damage.
Nature conservation activities therefore, focus on natural areas and wild species. Not by chance: in recent decades, reports on extinct animal species have followed each other, and according to researchers, the recent extinction rate is unprecedented.[1] Since the early 1900s, 400 vertebrate species have become extinct, and according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), 50 animal species are moving closer to extinction each year: 41 percent are amphibians and 25 percent are mammals. Another 9,251 species are critically endangered. The protection of wildlife is therefore more timely than ever. Our social duty is to respect wildlife, preserve natural habitats, combat poaching, and keep fishing and hunting activities within strict limits. The protection of wild animals whose survival is threatened for any reason is especially important.
This can be realized in many ways: from the smallest individual actions to state or global measures. International conventions advocate the protection of wild animals in many areas: the Ramsar Convention protects wetlands, the Bonn Convention protects migratory animals, and the Rio Convention protects biodiversity. The Washington Convention regulates the international trade of endangered species, and nations’ own animal protection laws determine the rules to be followed locally.
But we should not only think in terms of rules since protecting nature and wild animals is our natural, ancient duty. After all, we are part of the system called: nature. Thus, our own decisions and everyday actions are just as much a part of the protection of the world around us as any other protective measures implemented according to higher rules. We can make responsible decisions when choosing the food we eat, when following the rules of the forest during a hike when saying no to exploitation. When we do that, we also protect everything that moves and animates our world: nature.
Nature conservation vs environmental protection
Nature conservation is therefore not the same as environmental protection. Although there is a serious overlap between the two activities, and they work effectively by assuming and complementing each other, it is still important to separate these two concepts from each other. The focus of nature conservation activities is the biosphere. There is a focus on natural areas and wild species. In contrast, human society and its interests are at the center of environmental protection activities. Environmental protection activities focus on the harmful effects of human activities – such as problems caused by agriculture, industry, or transport – to ensure the human environment’s functionality. So if we wanted to put it briefly: while people are at the center of environmental protection, nature and wildlife are at the center of nature conservation.
Conservation is nothing more than the rational use of our planet’s natural resources, the aim of which is to prevent the impoverishment and excessive degradation of the environment. Think about it: what would happen to the billions of people on Earth if we didn’t have such an abundant supply of resources? How would we feed billions of hungry mouths, what would drive our machines, and what would ensure our health?
Preservation
Our joint task is therefore to preserve this miracle, starting from the search for alternative foods and heating materials, to making people aware of the dangers of pollution, to the preservation and maintenance of natural habitats. Moreover, having reached a critical threshold, it is now our task to create new habitats, nature conservation areas, national parks, and reserves to try to counteract the destructive activities in our environment as much as possible.
In the 1987 report of the United Nations (UN) called “Our Common Future”, we learned about a new concept: sustainability. The report defined ‘sustainable development’ as “Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”[2] I think that this wording contains everything necessary and worth knowing about sustainable living: we must create a life on Earth that can satisfy our rationally defined needs, but also ensures the prosperity of those who come after us under the same conditions. After all, “We did not inherit the Earth from our fathers, but borrowed it from our grandchildren”, and as a loan gift, it is our duty to pass it on in such a way that it is livable – this is where the true cycle of life lies.
4 types of conservation
We already know how big a role the world around us plays in our everyday lives and our future well-being, but how can we preserve it for those who come after us? The protection, maintenance, and management of ecosystems and natural habitats and ensuring that they have been healthy and functional are all part of biodiversity conservation.[3]
If we ask ourselves what nature conservation is, in general, we can distinguish four basic types of biodiversity and nature conservation. These are the following:
- Environmental Conservation
- Animal Conservation
- Marine Conservation
- Human Conservation
The protection of the environment and the protection of animals have already been discussed, so let’s now see what the protection of the seas and people means in the context of nature protection.
The seas and the people
Our natural waters play a key role in ensuring life on Earth. Preservation of the ecosystems of the oceans and seas is therefore a very important task, so we must pay special attention to preventing overfishing of natural resources, exploring and understanding the working mechanisms of aquatic life, curbing ecosystem destruction caused by humans, rebuilding damaged ecosystems, and protecting ecosystems.
We could notice that no matter what aspect of nature conservation was discussed, humans always appeared as a triggering factor. But nature conservation sees humans not only as a cause but also as a target group: in addition to protecting nature, it also strives to enable people to use nature properly, with maximum respect for it. At first, most people might think that this is incompatible with the concept of preservation – but if you think about it, it’s not nearly so. After all, the protection of natural habitats and wild animals, and the preservation of the health of the biosphere is also the protection of humans – and humans cannot exist without the “use” of nature.
Ubuntu Magazine
So we can see that nature protection, preservation, and all its forms are as diverse as nature itself, and we try to bring you this diversity from all over the world. In the course of our work, we search for the most exciting and outstanding conservation actions, inspiring stories, and exemplary initiatives on the planet to show that there are thousands of wonders to be discovered and so many treasures waiting for us in the endless world of nature.
We would like you to discover with us that as much as a man can be destructive, he can also build and that there are many, many more everyday heroes worthy of following who are fighting for our tomorrow than we think. Stay with us, and we’ll open the door to the world of conservation for you.
