Mongabay · Climate & nature

Invasive species' environmental impacts are more severe in Global South, study finds

A new study challenges the assumption that invasive alien species (IAS) have greater impacts in wealthier Global North countries. Research indicates the average severity of IAS impacts is higher in the Global South, attributed to weak governance and limited management capacity.

The study assessed average impact severity, finding it higher in the Global South, even for the same IAS introduced to both regions.

Weak governance and management capacity contribute to the Global South's vulnerability. IAS can damage native species, ecosystems, and cause biodiversity loss.

In Myanmar, farmers struggle with invasive species like the golden apple snail, damaging rice paddies and requiring costly, self-devised mitigation methods.

The research used the Global Impacts Dataset of IAS (GIDIAS), compiling over 22,000 records from 172 countries, and developed a metric independent of research effort.

The average impact severity (AIS) metric shows a higher probability of IAS causing severe impacts in Global South countries across various habitats and organism groups.

Globally, invasive species cause an estimated $423 billion in damages annually since 1970. Prevention is highlighted as the most cost-effective strategy.

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