{"id":14694,"date":"2024-08-30T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-08-30T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/?p=14694"},"modified":"2024-10-08T16:58:14","modified_gmt":"2024-10-08T15:58:14","slug":"running-out-of-room-humans-encroaching-on-wildlife-habitats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/news\/2024\/08\/running-out-of-room-humans-encroaching-on-wildlife-habitats\/","title":{"rendered":"Running out of room: Humans encroaching on wildlife habitats"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-cover alignfull curved-bottom\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-cover__background has-background-dim-0 has-background-dim\"><\/span><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" class=\"wp-block-cover__image-background wp-image-14699\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/jack-young-B87VRCWmpqU-unsplash-scaled.jpg\" data-object-fit=\"cover\" srcset=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/jack-young-B87VRCWmpqU-unsplash-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/jack-young-B87VRCWmpqU-unsplash-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/jack-young-B87VRCWmpqU-unsplash-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/jack-young-B87VRCWmpqU-unsplash-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/jack-young-B87VRCWmpqU-unsplash-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/jack-young-B87VRCWmpqU-unsplash-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><div class=\"wp-block-cover__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-cover-is-layout-flow\"><h1 class=\"has-text-align-center wp-block-post-title\">Running out of room: Humans encroaching on wildlife habitats<\/h1><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-date\"><time datetime=\"2024-08-30T08:00:00+01:00\">30 August 2024<\/time><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"lead\">Population growth means that humans will push further into wildlife habitats across more than 50 per cent of land by 2070, according to a new study. Here we unpack how increasing overlap between humans and wildlife will lead to accelerating biodiversity loss, increased human-wildlife conflict, and worsening outcomes for local communities. We then examine the positive solutions available such as Population Health Environment (PHE).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>No other species on earth has shaped the environment as much as humans, leading to a cascade of effects on other species.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/biodiversity\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Biodiversity<\/a>, a measure of the diversity of species in an ecosystem, is being lost at an unprecedent rate, described by some as a Sixth Mass Extinction. Currently, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.iucnredlist.org\/about\/background-history\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">IUCN Red List<\/a> has more than 45,300&nbsp;species threatened with extinction, including 41 per cent of amphibians, 37 per cent of sharks and rays, 36 per cent of reef building corals, 26 per cent of mammals and 12 per cent of birds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The main drivers of biodiversity loss are habitat destruction and overexploitation of species, driven by our growing numbers and the pressure of our unsustainable consumption on natural resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We\u2019re using more land, more water, and producing more waste and pollution than ever before, with worsening effects for wildlife.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.ipbes.net\/news\/Media-Release-Global-Assessment\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>IPBES<\/strong><\/a>, only one-quarter of land areas and one-third of oceans remain relatively undamaged by&nbsp;human activity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, a new study published in Science Advances predicts that due to population growth, humans will push further into what remains of wildlife habitat. The study expects the overlap between human and wildlife populations to increase across 57 per cent of the Earth&#8217;s land by 2070, driven by human population growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/jack-young-B87VRCWmpqU-unsplash-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-14699\" srcset=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/jack-young-B87VRCWmpqU-unsplash-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/jack-young-B87VRCWmpqU-unsplash-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/jack-young-B87VRCWmpqU-unsplash-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/jack-young-B87VRCWmpqU-unsplash-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/jack-young-B87VRCWmpqU-unsplash-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">More people, less space<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><em>As the global human population exceeds 8 billion people and affects up to 70% of terrestrial land area, humans and animals must share increasingly crowded landscapes.<\/em><\/p>\n<cite><a href=\"https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/sciadv.adp7706\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Global expansion of human-wildlife overlap in the 21st century &#8211; Science Advances<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>The areas which are predicted to see the highest increase in human-wildlife overlap is in Africa and South America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sub-Saharan Africa has been identified as one of the fastest growing populations globally, currently at a population of 1.2 billion people that is expected to double to 2.5 billion by 2050.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, in other regions with lower rates of population growth due to persistent low birth rates such as in Europe, the human-wildlife overlap was projected to reduce across 20 per cent of land.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/blouberg_adventurer-07ETdm-wlbU-unsplash-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-14697\" srcset=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/blouberg_adventurer-07ETdm-wlbU-unsplash-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/blouberg_adventurer-07ETdm-wlbU-unsplash-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/blouberg_adventurer-07ETdm-wlbU-unsplash-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/blouberg_adventurer-07ETdm-wlbU-unsplash-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/blouberg_adventurer-07ETdm-wlbU-unsplash-2048x1152.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>As detailed in our <a href=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/resources\/vanishing-icons\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Vanishing Icons<\/a> report, rapidly growing populations contribute to biodiversity loss by three main factors:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Habitat loss from land clearing.<\/strong> As local communities expand due to population growth, rates of deforestation increase as land is cleared to be cultivated into smallholder farms and settlements.<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Habitat fragmentation. <\/strong>A critical threat to many wild species is habitat fragmentation \u2013 not simply loss of habitat area but loss of continuous areas of habitat where animals can roam. The ability to roam, especially for large mammals such as elephants and tigers, is crucial for natural behaviours including foraging, hunting, and mating. However, land cleared for development, can lead to isolated \u201cislands\u201d of habitat where wildlife lack sufficient territory to sustain themselves.<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Bush meat trade.<\/strong> People kill wild animals for food, referred to as bushmeat, which is a common practice in Africa, where wild meat provides an important source of protein for many. Experts cite population growth as a key driver of the increasing rates of bushmeat consumption since, for many low-income communities, bushmeat is a necessity and serves as a nutritional &#8216;safety net&#8217; where farmed meat is uncommon.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Human-wILDLIFE cONFLICT<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Overlap between humans and wildlife in shared landscapes causes more human-wildlife conflict as humans compete over natural resources with wild animals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Sri Lanka, human-elephant conflict is on the rise. Elephants are mega-herbivores that need to consume 150kg of vegetation and 190 litres of water daily, to meet these needs requires a large foraging area. However, high rates of deforestation in Sri Lanka, as well as the increased development of roads, settlements, and expanding farms, has meant elephant habitats are shrinking, forcing them into closer proximity with people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1710\" src=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/paweldotio-678225-unsplash-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Asian elephants banner\" class=\"wp-image-2205\" srcset=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/paweldotio-678225-unsplash-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/paweldotio-678225-unsplash-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/paweldotio-678225-unsplash-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/paweldotio-678225-unsplash-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/paweldotio-678225-unsplash-1536x1026.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/paweldotio-678225-unsplash-2048x1368.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Elephants often become attracted to grains stored in village settlements, which leads them to raid crops in some of the most food-insecure communities. This can lead to casualties on both sides, due to aggressive behaviour from elephants and villagers creating deadly traps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/environment\/2024\/mar\/19\/sri-lanka-elephants-people-deaths-natural-resources-climate-crisis-coexistence-aoe\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Last year, 176 people died&nbsp;in elephant encounters on the island, and 470 elephants were killed<\/a> \u2013 more than double the number of elephant deaths&nbsp;in 2010.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Elephants and humans can cohabit peacefully as long as sufficient space and resources are provided for both species, which will not occur if rapid population growth continues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">RISK OF ZOONOTIC DISEASES<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The study cites the importance of preventing more human-wildlife overlap due to the risk of zoonotic disease transfer. Zoonotic diseases are infectious diseases that can jump from wild animals to humans. Around 75 per cent of emerging diseases in humans are zoonotic and are of increasing concern to global health authorities \u2013 as highly infectious diseases such as Covid-19, mpox, avian flu and swine flu \u2013 all likely originated as zoonotic diseases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As humans increasingly encroach upon wildlife habitat, with communities sharing water sources or consuming bush meat, this increases the risk of a zoonotic disease jumping the species barrier and causing another epidemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Reducing human-wildlife overlap is the best means to prevent zoonotic diseases, and addressing root causes, such as ending local population growth, can achieve this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/adalee-penguin-uv95UOsRPF0-unsplash-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-14696\" srcset=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/adalee-penguin-uv95UOsRPF0-unsplash-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/adalee-penguin-uv95UOsRPF0-unsplash-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/adalee-penguin-uv95UOsRPF0-unsplash-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/adalee-penguin-uv95UOsRPF0-unsplash-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/adalee-penguin-uv95UOsRPF0-unsplash-2048x1365.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Population Health Enviornment SOlutions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>PHE is a development approach that recognizes the complex links between people, their health and the natural resources upon which they depend. PHE projects focus on providing voluntary family planning information and services, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable natural resources management in a coordinated manner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"908\" src=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/image.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-14680\" style=\"width:400px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/image.png 1024w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/image-300x266.png 300w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/image-768x681.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Rural, low-income, subsistence communities tend to border critical areas for biodiversity. People often refer to them as &#8220;last-mile&#8221; communities because they are the furthest and hardest to reach with medical services. This prevents them from accessing modern contraceptives or family planning information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>PHE projects provide a vital opportunity for conservation of critical areas for biodiversity, as well as providing local communities with an unmet need for reproductive health services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>PHE projects that provide local communities with choice-based family planning programs long-term reduces the local fertility rate and slows local population growth, reducing further human-wildlife overlap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Projects such as <a href=\"https:\/\/ctph.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Conservation Through Public Health<\/a> have also successfully reduced human-wildlife conflict through community education and rangers\u2019 programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can <a href=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/ask-your-political-representatives-to-support-phe\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>help support PHE as a solution to solve the biodiversity crisis here.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-popmat-share\"><a class=\"fb-share\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fpopulationmatters.org%2Fnews%2F2024%2F08%2Frunning-out-of-room-humans-encroaching-on-wildlife-habitats%2F\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><div><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\"><path d=\"M400 32H48A48 48 0 0 0 0 80v352a48 48 0 0 0 48 48h137.25V327.69h-63V256h63v-54.64c0-62.15 37-96.48 93.67-96.48 27.14 0 55.52 4.84 55.52 4.84v61h-31.27c-30.81 0-40.42 19.12-40.42 38.73V256h68.78l-11 71.69h-57.78V480H400a48 48 0 0 0 48-48V80a48 48 0 0 0-48-48z\"><\/path><\/svg> Share<\/div><\/a><a class=\"tw-share\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpopulationmatters.org%2Fnews%2F2024%2F08%2Frunning-out-of-room-humans-encroaching-on-wildlife-habitats%2F&amp;text=Running%20out%20of%20room%3A%20Humans%20encroaching%20on%20wildlife%20habitats\" target=\"_blank\" 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href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpopulationmatters.org%2Fnews%2F2024%2F08%2Frunning-out-of-room-humans-encroaching-on-wildlife-habitats%2F&amp;text=Running%20out%20of%20room%3A%20Humans%20encroaching%20on%20wildlife%20habitats\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><div><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\"><path d=\"M416 32H31.9C14.3 32 0 46.5 0 64.3v383.4C0 465.5 14.3 480 31.9 480H416c17.6 0 32-14.5 32-32.3V64.3c0-17.8-14.4-32.3-32-32.3zM135.4 416H69V202.2h66.5V416zm-33.2-243c-21.3 0-38.5-17.3-38.5-38.5S80.9 96 102.2 96c21.2 0 38.5 17.3 38.5 38.5 0 21.3-17.2 38.5-38.5 38.5zm282.1 243h-66.4V312c0-24.8-.5-56.7-34.5-56.7-34.6 0-39.9 27-39.9 54.9V416h-66.4V202.2h63.7v29.2h.9c8.9-16.8 30.6-34.5 62.9-34.5 67.2 0 79.7 44.3 79.7 101.9V416z\"><\/path><\/svg> Post<\/div><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull has-light-blue-background-color has-background is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Related content<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-popmat-grid grid grid-3\">\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-popmat-post-teaser\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/news\/2024\/08\/exploring-the-relationship-between-human-numbers-and-environmental-issues\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<h3>Exploring the relationship between our numbers and the environment<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"417\" height=\"598\" src=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Screenshot-2024-08-08-101029.png\" class=\"wp-image-14574\" srcset=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Screenshot-2024-08-08-101029.png 417w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Screenshot-2024-08-08-101029-209x300.png 209w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 417px) 100vw, 417px\" \/><\/img>\n\t\t\t\t<p>The Journal of Population and Sustainability explores all aspects of the relationship between human numbers and environmental issues.<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-popmat-post-teaser\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/news\/2024\/04\/what-is-population-health-environment\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<h3>What Is Population, Health, Environment?<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/WfC-8-3-768x576.jpeg\" class=\"wp-image-12359\" srcset=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/WfC-8-3-768x576.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/WfC-8-3-300x225.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/WfC-8-3-1024x768.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/WfC-8-3-1536x1152.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/WfC-8-3.jpeg 1728w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/img>\n\t\t\t\t<p>Population Health Environment (PHE) is an integrated approach to environmental conservation, family planning, and sustainable development. Find out more about PHE and join our campaign. <\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-popmat-post-teaser\">\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/biodiversity\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<h3>Biodiversity<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"413\" src=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/jenna-lee-122713-unsplash_crop-768x413.jpg\" class=\"wp-image-2180\" srcset=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/jenna-lee-122713-unsplash_crop-768x413.jpg 768w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/jenna-lee-122713-unsplash_crop-300x161.jpg 300w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/jenna-lee-122713-unsplash_crop-1024x551.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/jenna-lee-122713-unsplash_crop-1536x826.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/jenna-lee-122713-unsplash_crop-2048x1101.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><\/img>\n\t\t\t\t<p>Nature is under pressure as never before. One million species are under the threat of extinction. Our human population is one of the drivers of the biodiversity crisis. Learn more. <\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Population growth means that humans will push further into wildlife habitats across more than 50% of land by 2070, causing biodiversity loss, increased human-wildlife conflict, and worsening outcomes for local communities. We then examine the positive solutions available such as Population Health Environment.","protected":false},"author":65,"featured_media":14699,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[10,14],"class_list":["post-14694","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","tag-biodiversity","tag-environment"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Running out of room: Humans encroaching on wildlife habitats - Population Matters<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Population growth means that humans will push further into wildlife habitats across more than 50% of land by 2070.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/news\/2024\/08\/running-out-of-room-humans-encroaching-on-wildlife-habitats\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Running out of room: Humans encroaching on wildlife habitats\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Population growth means that humans will push further into wildlife habitats across more than 50% of land by 2070, causing biodiversity loss, increased human-wildlife conflict, and worsening outcomes for local communities. We then examine the positive solutions available such as Population Health Environment.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/news\/2024\/08\/running-out-of-room-humans-encroaching-on-wildlife-habitats\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Population Matters\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/PopulationMatters\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-08-30T07:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-10-08T15:58:14+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/populationmatters.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/jack-young-B87VRCWmpqU-unsplash-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1707\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Madeleine Hewitt\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Running out of room: Humans encroaching on wildlife habitats\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"Population growth means that humans will push further into wildlife habitats across more than 50% of land by 2070, causing biodiversity loss, increased human-wildlife conflict, and worsening outcomes for local communities. 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