Australia has dedicated more than 20% of its land to conservation but not where it matters most

Kakadu National Park is a well-known example of protected land. Liana Joseph/Author provided, CC BY-ND

On paper, Australia is a conservation success story.

Over the past 15 years, we’ve dedicated vast areas of land to conservation. Our primary goal has been to protect our unique plants, animals, and ecosystems. As a result, Australia now has one of the largest protected area estates in the world, covering roughly 22% of the country.