Nature reserves 'not being protected from humans'

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A third of protected nature reserves around the world are under threat from intense human activities such as road building, grazing of animals and urbanisation, according to a new study. Professor James Watson from the Wildlife Conservation Society tells Science in Action that detailed analysis from satellite images and other big data sources, shows that only 10% of lands were completely free of human activity, but most of these regions are in remote areas in places such as Russia and Canada. This, James Watson says, defeats the idea of creating conservation areas as too much human activity is endangering the species that should be protected. (Picture: Threats to Niassa, Mozambique, by expanding slash and burn agriculture. Credit: James Allan)