Summary
This paper summarises the outcomes of a quantitative analysis of the extent of Antarctic wilderness, recently published in Nature (Leihy et al., 2020). The researchers assembled an extensive database of ground-based human activity across the Antarctic continent and offshore islands, comprising approximately 2.7 million records spanning 200 years. Using several global and Antarctic regional definitions they found that >99% of Antarctica can still be considered wilderness, with large-scale 'Inviolate Wilderness Areas' (>10,000 km2 with no record of historical human activity) representing approximately 32% of the continent. These findings are relevant to the work of the Committee for Environmental Protection (CEP), such as ongoing efforts to develop an agreed approach to understanding and protecting Antarctic wilderness, and to systematically develop the Antarctic protected area system including consideration of areas of outstanding wilderness value and areas kept inviolate from human interference.