Government Policy Scorecard
Grading range countries on their commitment and performance in species conservation. From A to F — no curves.
| Country | Grade | Species at Risk | Key Laws & Policies | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
🇮🇹 India |
B | Tiger, Asian Elephant, Snow Leopard, Ganges River Dolphin ~40 endangered species |
Wild Life (Protection) Act 1972, Project Tiger, Project Elephant, Biological Diversity Act 2002 |
Tiger population tripled since 1970s — a global conservation success. But rapid development pressures and human-wildlife conflict remain severe. |
🇺🇸 USA |
B+ | Florida Panther, North Atlantic Right Whale, California Condor ~1,400 endangered species |
Endangered Species Act 1973, Marine Mammal Protection Act, Bald Eagle Protection Act |
Strong legal framework with the ESA. Florida panther recovering slowly. Right whale still critically endangered due to vessel strikes and fishing gear. |
🇨🇳 China |
B | Giant Panda, South China Tiger, Crested Ibis, Tibetan Antelope ~100 critically endangered |
Wildlife Protection Law 1988 (amended 2022), National Parks system, CITES implementation |
Panda delisting from endangered is a genuine achievement. Tiger habitat still fragmented. Rhino horn demand drives illegal trade. Mixed record. |
🇲🇽 Mexico |
B- | Vaquita, Gray Whale, Monarch Butterfly, Mesoamerican Jaguar ~500 endangered species |
NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2010, gillnet bans in Upper Gulf of California, Marine Protected Areas |
Gillnet ban for vaquita is the right policy — but enforcement has failed catastrophically. Gray whale recovery a genuine win. Jaguar corridor expanding. |
🇷🇺 Russia |
C+ | Amur Leopard, Siberian Tiger, Polar Bear ~100 endangered species |
Red Book of Russia, Specially Protected Nature Territories, CITES ratification |
Amur leopard went from ~40 to ~100 individuals — a genuine recovery. Siberian tiger stable. But vast enforcement challenges and illegal logging persist. |
🇧🇷 Brazil |
C | Golden Lion Tamarin, Black Lion Tamarin, Amazonian Manatee ~1,000 endangered species |
Environmental Crimes Law 1998, Amazon Protected Areas (ARPA), IBAMA enforcement |
Amazon deforestation has accelerated since 2019. ARPA protected area network a genuine achievement. Enforcement capacity gutted. C is generous. |
🇮🇩 Indonesia |
D+ | Sumatran Rhino, Orangutan, Sumatran Tiger, Komodo Dragon ~630 endangered species |
Conservation of Natural Resources Act, moratorium on primary forest clearing, Moratorium on New Palm Oil Licenses |
Rhino conservation success through dedicated sanctuary program is notable. But deforestation rates remain catastrophic, especially in Borneo and Sumatra. |
🇩🇩 DRC |
F | Grauer's Gorilla, Okapi, Congo Peacock ~200 endangered species |
Nature Conservation Law, ICCN (Institut Congolais pour la Conservation de la Nature) |
Civil conflict makes conservation nearly impossible. Grauer's gorilla numbers crashing. Rangers killed regularly. ICCN underfunded and under attack. F is understatement. |
Detailed Country Assessments
India
Assessment
India's Project Tiger, launched in 1973, is one of the most successful conservation programs in history. The country has 54 tiger reserves and the tiger population has grown from ~1,800 in 1973 to over 3,000 today. The Wildlife Protection Act provides a solid legal foundation. However, habitat fragmentation from infrastructure development, human-wildlife conflict, and poaching of tigers and elephants remain serious concerns.
Key Legislation
Wild Life (Protection) Act 1972 (amended 2022), Project Tiger, Project Elephant, Biological Diversity Act 2002, Environmental Protection Act 1986.
What India Could Do
Accelerate wildlife corridor restoration connecting protected areas. Increase penalties for wildlife trafficking. Phase out single-use plastics in protected areas. Expand community-based conservation through Panchayat-level wildlife committees.
United States
Assessment
The Endangered Species Act (1973) is one of the world's strongest pieces of conservation legislation. Over 99% of species listed under the ESA have been saved from extinction. Florida panthers have recovered from ~30 individuals in the 1970s to over 200 today. The Marine Mammal Protection Act protects cetaceans. However, critical habitat designation is underfunded, and climate change is creating threats the current framework wasn't designed to address.
Key Legislation
Endangered Species Act 1973, Marine Mammal Protection Act 1972, Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, Lacey Act (as amended).
What the USA Could Do
Fully fund critical habitat designations and recovery plans. Pass the Wildlife Corridors Conservation Act. Reform the National Environmental Policy Act to better account for climate impacts. Expand the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge protections.
China
Assessment
China's Giant Panda conservation program is a remarkable success — pandas were delisted from "endangered" to "vulnerable" in 2016, largely due to China's massive investment in captive breeding and habitat protection. The National Parks pilot, launched in 2016, created a unified system covering 23% of China's land area. However, wild panda populations remain fragmented across isolated mountain ranges, and the South China tiger is functionally extinct in the wild. Tiger and rhino poaching networks still operate across China's borders.
Key Legislation
Wildlife Protection Law (revised 2022), National Parks Law, Biological Security Law 2020, CITES implementation, ban on commercial rhino horn trade.
What China Could Do
Reintroduce captive-born pandas to wild habitats with corridors. Commit to eliminating tiger farms. Increase anti-poaching enforcement in Southeast Asia border regions. Use its economic influence to push conservation in Belt and Road partner countries.
Mexico
Assessment
Mexico has a genuinely strong legal framework for protecting species in its territory. The Upper Gulf of California is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Gray whales recovered from near-extinction to ~22,000 individuals — one of conservation's greatest stories. The vaquita case is a national shame: the Mexican government banned gillnets in 2015, yet illegal totoaba fishing continues unabated, reducing the world's smallest porpoise to fewer than 10 individuals.
Key Legislation
NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2010 (environmental protection list), gillnet ban in Upper Gulf (2015), Marine Protected Areas Law, General Law for Sustainable Forest Development.
What Mexico Could Do
Deploy permanent Navy enforcement in the Upper Gulf of California. Fund Sea Shepherd operations directly. Prosecute illegal totoaba networks — many are linked to Chinese organized crime. Compensate fishermen for lost income from gillnet restrictions.
Russia
Assessment
Russia's Amur leopard recovery is one of the most inspiring conservation stories of the 21st century — from ~40 individuals in the 1970s to over 100 today, thanks to transboundary cooperation with China. The Siberian tiger is stable. But Russia's vast distances make enforcement nearly impossible, illegal logging continues in the Far East, and the Arctic ice loss threatens polar bears.
Key Legislation
Red Book of Russia (endangered species registry), Specially Protected Nature Territories (SPNT) system, Federal Law on Wildlife, CITES.
What Russia Could Do
Expand the Land of the Leopard National Park. Increase ranger salaries and equipment. Restore forest corridors between China and Russia for leopard movement. Address climate change impacts on Arctic species through domestic policy.
Brazil
Assessment
Brazil created the world's largest tropical forest protected area network. The ARPA program (Amazon Region Protected Areas) protects 115 million acres. The golden lion tamarin recovered from ~200 to over 2,500. But since 2019, Amazon deforestation has accelerated dramatically, with 2021 seeing the highest deforestation rates in 15 years. IBAMA, Brazil's main environmental enforcement agency, has been systematically gutted.
Key Legislation
Environmental Crimes Law (Law 9,605/1998), Forest Code, ARPA program, Amazon Fund (recently reactivated).
What Brazil Could Do
Fully fund and protect IBAMA. Reinstate the Amazon Fund with binding deforestation targets. Create a permanent moratorium on new mining permits in indigenous territories. Pass the Native Vegetation Protection Law strengthening the Forest Code.
Indonesia
Assessment
Indonesia has the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary, which has produced calves — a genuine achievement. The Komodo Dragon was just reclassified to Endangered. Orangutan populations are declining. Indonesia is the world's largest producer of palm oil, which drives massive deforestation. Borneo has lost over 50% of its forest cover. The government's palm oil moratorium is routinely violated.
Key Legislation
Conservation of Natural Resources and Ecosystems Act (UU 32/2009), Presidential Moratorium on New Palm Oil Concessions, Forest Moratorium, Regional Autonomy Law.
What Indonesia Could Do
Make the palm oil moratorium permanent and verifiable with satellite monitoring. Cancel permits for forest destruction in protected areas. Phase out single-tree selective logging. Increase funding for the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary expansion. Stop new mining permits in conservation areas.
Democratic Republic of Congo
Assessment
DRC is one of the most biodiverse countries on Earth and one of the most politically unstable. Grauer's gorilla numbers have dropped 77% since the 1990s, from ~17,000 to under 4,000. Rangers with ICCN are killed regularly — 6 were murdered in Virunga National Park in 2022 alone. DRC's 800-pound gorilla is the conflict minerals trade, which funds armed groups that kill wildlife and rangers. F is a generous grade given the circumstances.
Key Legislation
Nature Conservation Law (Décret nature), ICCN mandate, protected area system (Virunga, Kahuzi-Biega, Salonga), CITES ratification.
What DRC Could Do
International community must fund ICCN properly — it's one of the most underfunded conservation agencies in the world relative to the task. Develop community conservancy models that give local people economic incentives. International pressure on conflict minerals tracing. Long-term peace is the prerequisite for any conservation success.
Geographic Overview
Conservation performance by country. Green = A/B, Yellow = C, Orange/Red = D/F.