TRENDING SCIENCE: About 97 % of land areas have been destroyed, research claims

European Commission

How many pristine places are left undisturbed by oil, gas and mining activities, as well as land development? What is the extent of this damage to habitats? According to a study published in the journal ‘Frontiers in Forests and Global Change’, nearly 3 % of the world’s land remains ecologically intact. These areas include Canada’s boreal forests, Greenland’s tundra, Amazon and Congo tropical forests, and the Sahara Desert. Only 11 % of the areas identified by the international research team are under protection.