Top 10 best and worst performing countries in Nature Conservation Index 2024: India’s position explained

This is pushing us alarmingly close to a critical threshold in terms of biodiversity loss and climate change, both of which pose serious threats to humanity.

With the increased awareness, technology, and international activity, there’s a pressing need for effective conservation practices.

Peter Drucker once famously said, “You can’t manage what you don’t measure.”

Along similar lines, the Goldman Sonnenfeldt School of Sustainability and Climate Change, in collaboration with BioDB.com, released the Nature Conservation Index in October 2024.

The Nature Conservation Index (NCI) is a crucial instrument for evaluating the efficacy of countries’ conservation initiatives. (Credit: biodb.com)

The United States—the largest and most developed economy in the world—has a vast and diverse landscape, with 13% of its land covered by protected lands.

It ranks 37th globally with a score of 60.13. Its biodiversity, though rich, is facing serious threats, with about 41% of ecosystems at risk of collapsing, 40% of animal species, and 34% of plant species facing extinction.

On the contrary, China, the world’s second-largest economy and one of the mega-biodiverse countries, is at the bottom, ranked 164th with a score of 48.34.

China has experienced rapid economic growth and urbanization, significantly impacting its environment. However, it has made substantial efforts to mitigate it by setting up 2,538 nature reserves, which covered 15.13% of its total land area by the end of 2008.

It’s noteworthy to mention that Bhutan, a global biodiversity hotspot, is the only country in Asia that has performed remarkably, ranking 15th globally with a score of 63.1.

Bhutan protects over 51% of its land, the highest percentage in Asia. This commitment to nature conservation stems from its philosophy of Gross National Happiness, which prioritizes environmental protection as a fundamental value.

Evaluating countries using four key metrics: land management, threats to biodiversity, capacity, governance, and future trends, the Nature Conservation Index 2024 reveals the stark differences in conservation effectiveness worldwide.

Top 10 best-performing countries in Nature Conservation Index 2024:

Luxembourg, a small European country situated between Belgium, France, and Germany, with its rich biodiversity, is leading the way forward in the rankings with a score of 70.8 out of 100.

It’s also notable to mention that Europe is dominating, with seven of its countries ranking among the top performers in nature conservation. Here are the top 10 countries with the best nature and biodiversity conservation efforts, paving the way forward:

Top 10 worst-performing countries in Nature Conservation Index 2024:

On the contrary, overexploitation of resources, pollution, deforestation, and other factors are causing significant biodiversity loss in countries from Oceania, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa.

India ranks as one of the five worst performers in nature conservation alongside Kiribati, Turkey, Iraq, and Micronesia. Here are the bottom 10:

India’s position explained:

India, a mega-diverse country with 7-8% of the world’s species, ranks 179th in nature conservation efforts, with a disappointing score of 45.5.

Although 7.5% of India’s terrestrial territory, 40% of marine species, and 65% of terrestrial species live within protected areas, habitat loss and fragmentation pose significant threats to biodiversity, primarily driven by agricultural expansion, urbanization, and infrastructure development, the index highlights.

India will be a global hotspot for human-wildlife conflict by 2070, a report by Science Advances revealed. (Source: MoEF&CC)

However, there is room for optimism as the country launched several campaigns; in addition, Prime Minister Modi’s conservation policies prioritize renewable energy, afforestation, wildlife protection, and sustainable agriculture, contributing to global conservation efforts.

Being the most populated country in the world, India’s natural resources will face constant strain. With political action, strategic policy reforms, and strengthened biodiversity protection measures, India can address conservation issues and create a more sustainable and ecologically friendly future.