Areas where high poverty and high population density coincides with high biodiversity may indicate areas in which poor people likely have no other choice than to unsustainably extract resources, in turn threatening biodiversity. © 2006 UNEP/GRID-Arendal
Some of the poorest countries are actually very rich in biodiversity. The current imbalance in tangible rewards for preserving the forrest versus cutting them down to harvest crops makes it unpreventable that valuable nature is lost in favor of economy.
Some of the world’s least developed countries are located in hotspot areas of high importance for biodiversity. This map displays Human Development Index (UNDP) by country and hotspot regions overlaid on that. © 2006 UNEP/GRID-Arendal
Introducing eco-currency can actually make local people benefit from preserving the valuable nature, not only biodiversity will benefit but it will also lead to social improvements for some of the world poorest. The way in which this ‘currency’ will be transferred should be carefully considered to make sure development will be spread throughout the community and prevent multinationals from becoming global landowners.