NCI 2025
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    Conservation Legislation

    It refers to the laws and regulations enacted to protect, manage, and sustain natural resources and biodiversity. These legal frameworks are critical for setting the boundaries and guidelines for environmental protection, including the designation of protected areas, land use regulation, and wildlife management. Effective conservation legislation is essential for preventing habitat destruction, controlling pollution, conserving endangered species, and ensuring sustainable use of natural resources.

    The strength and comprehensiveness of conservation legislation vary widely between countries and regions, reflecting differing environmental priorities and governance capacities. Clear definitions, enforceable penalties, and public participation and accountability mechanisms characterize robust legislation. It also adapts to emerging challenges such as climate change and invasive species. Successful conservation laws are supported by strong enforcement and monitoring systems, ensuring that legal provisions translate into practical conservation outcomes.

    The higher the score, the better the country ranks for this parameter.

    The table is sorted from the highest score to the lowest:

    Rank Country Score Change
    1
    Chile    		 100 None
    1
    Norway    		 100 None
    3
    Mauritania    		 79 +1
    4
    Iceland    		 78 +1
    5
    New Zealand    		 77 -2
    6
    Kuwait    		 77 None
    7
    Kiribati    		 76 None
    8
    Maldives    		 72 None
    9
    Marshall Islands    		 70 None
    10
    Mozambique    		 70 None
    11
    Comoros    		 68 None
    12
    Guinea-Bissau    		 68 None
    13
    Philippines    		 66 None
    14
    Solomon Islands    		 64 None
    15
    Oman    		 63 +1
    16
    Portugal    		 63 +1
    17
    Micronesia    		 63 -2
    18
    Russia    		 62 +2
    19
    Japan    		 62 None
    20
    Senegal    		 62 +1
    21
    Guinea    		 62 -3
    22
    Seychelles    		 60 +1
    23
    Gabon    		 60 -1
    24
    Chad    		 59 +1
    25
    Bahrain    		 59 -1
    26
    Madagascar    		 59 None
    27 Italy 58 None
    28
    Tonga    		 58 +1
    29
    Peru    		 58 -1
    30
    Mexico    		 57 None
    31
    Gambia    		 56 None
    32
    Argentina    		 55 None
    33
    Brazil    		 54 None
    34
    Cape Verde    		 54 None
    35
    Eritrea    		 53 +1
    36
    Denmark    		 53 -1
    37
    Ireland    		 53 None
    38
    Namibia    		 52 +2
    39
    Trinidad and Tobago    		 52 +4
    40
    France    		 52 -1
    41
    Brunei    		 52 -3
    42
    Saudi Arabia    		 52 None
    43
    Papua New Guinea    		 52 -2
    44
    Tanzania    		 51 +1
    45
    United States    		 51 +1
    46
    St. Vincent and the Grenadines    		 51 -2
    47
    Grenada    		 50 None
    48
    Angola    		 49 None
    49
    Sierra Leone    		 49 +1
    50
    Liberia    		 49 -1
    51
    Vietnam    		 49 None
    52
    Suriname    		 48 +1
    53
    South Korea    		 47 -1
    54
    Thailand    		 47 None
    55
    Belize    		 46 None
    56
    Ivory Coast    		 45 None
    57
    Cameroon    		 44 +1
    58
    Morocco    		 44 +3
    59
    Vanuatu    		 44 +3
    60
    Benin    		 44 -3
    61
    Kazakhstan    		 44 -1
    62
    Indonesia    		 44 -3
    63
    Mauritius    		 44 +3
    64
    Central Af. Rep.    		 43 None
    65
    Bahamas    		 43 -2
    66
    Ukraine    		 43 +4
    67
    Finland    		 43 -2
    68
    Romania    		 43 None
    69
    Spain    		 43 None
    70
    Myanmar    		 43 -3
    71
    Nicaragua    		 42 +2
    72
    United Kingdom    		 42 +2
    73
    DR Congo    		 42 -1
    74
    Belarus    		 42 -3
    75
    Antigua and Barbuda    		 41 None
    76
    Sudan    		 41 +3
    77
    Lebanon    		 41 +1
    78
    Australia    		 41 -2
    79
    Egypt    		 41 -2
    80
    Croatia    		 40 +2
    81
    Togo    		 40 +3
    82
    Albania    		 40 -1
    83
    Congo    		 40 -3
    84
    Lesotho    		 40 -1
    85
    Ecuador    		 39 None
    86
    Samoa    		 39 +3
    87
    Guatemala    		 39 +1
    88
    South Africa    		 39 +2
    89
    Estonia    		 39 -3
    90
    Greece    		 39 -3
    91
    Netherlands    		 38 +6
    92
    Qatar    		 38 +7
    93
    Jamaica    		 38 +2
    94
    Burkina Faso    		 38 -3
    95
    Laos    		 38 +1
    96
    Honduras    		 38 -2
    97
    United Arab Emirates    		 38 +3
    98
    Haiti    		 38 -5
    99
    Paraguay    		 38 -1
    100
    Eswatini    		 38 -8
    101
    Malawi    		 37 +1
    102
    Cuba    		 37 -1
    103
    Sweden    		 37 +1
    104
    Sri Lanka    		 37 +1
    105
    Ghana    		 36 +4
    106
    East Timor    		 36 +2
    107
    Sao Tome and Principe    		 36 +3
    108
    Costa Rica    		 36 -1
    109
    Algeria    		 36 -4
    110
    Belgium     		36 -4
    111
    Mali    		 35 +3
    112
    Cyprus    		 35 -1
    113
    Guyana    		 35 -1
    114
    Malaysia    		 35 -1
    115
    Tunisia    		 35 None
    116
    Uruguay    		 34 +4
    117
    Canada    		 34 None
    118
    Equatorial Guinea    		 34 +1
    119
    Dominican Republic    		 34 -1
    120
    Burundi    		 34 -4
    121
    Azerbaijan    		 33 None
    122
    Switzerland    		 33 +1
    123
    India    		 33 -1
    124
    Montenegro    		 32 +3
    125
    Bhutan    		 32 -1
    126
    Djibouti    		 32 None
    126
    Uganda    		 32 +4
    128
    Venezuela    		 32 +3
    129
    Slovenia    		 32 None
    130
    Nepal    		 32 -2
    131
    Cambodia    		 32 -6
    132
    Pakistan    		 31 +2
    133
    Dominica    		 31 -1
    134
    Fiji    		 31 -1
    135
    Colombia    		 30 None
    136
    Germany    		 30 None
    137
    Malta    		 30 None
    138
    Kyrgyztan    		 29 +1
    139
    Bolivia    		 29 -1
    140
    Ethiopia    		 28 None
    141
    Georgia    		 28 None
    142
    Hungary    		 28 None
    143
    Turkmenistan    		 28 +1
    144
    Zambia    		 28 +1
    145
    China    		 27 +2
    146
    Panama    		 27 +5
    147
    Bangladesh    		 27 -1
    148
    Saint Lucia    		 27 +4
    149
    Mongolia    		 27 +1
    150
    Lithuania    		 27 -2
    151
    Luxembourg    		 27 -2
    152
    Iraq    		 26 +2
    153
    Botswana    		 26 None
    154
    Zimbabwe    		 26 None
    155
    Kenya    		 25 +3
    156
    Austria    		 25 -1
    157
    Bulgaria    		 25 -1
    158
    Iran    		 25 -1
    159
    Poland    		 25 None
    160
    Singapore    		 24 +3
    161
    Latvia    		 24 +1
    162
    Barbados    		 24 -1
    163
    Armenia    		 24 -3
    164
    Czech republic    		 23 None
    165
    Serbia    		 23 None
    166
    Bosnia and Herz.    		 22 None
    167
    Turkey    		 21 +1
    168
    Nigeria    		 21 -1
    169
    Niger    		 20 None
    170
    Rwanda    		 20 None
    171
    Israel    		 19 +1
    172
    Tajikistan    		 19 -1
    173
    Jordan    		 17 None
    174
    Uzbekistan    		 15 +1
    175
    Afghanistan    		 15 -1
    176
    North Macedonia    		 14 +1
    177
    El Salvador    		 14 -1
    178
    Slovakia    		 13 None
    179
    Moldova    		 12 -36

    Source and Calculation

    Data on country-specific environmental legislation and regulation are sourced from ECOLEX. The proportion of legislation and regulation dealing with `fisheries` and `wild species & ecosystems` out of the total is then calculated. A maximum score is awarded to a country that 50% or more of its environmental legislation and regulation deals with fisheries or wild species & ecosystems.

    *Different sources offer varying data, as datasets may be subject to changes due to recent updates and revisions.