endangerment

Endangerment is the condition of being in danger or at risk of harm. The term is used in different fields to describe situations where continued exposure to a hazard or ongoing processes could lead to injury, loss, or extinction. In everyday language, it may refer to someone placed in a risky situation; in ecology, it describes species at high risk of extinction.

In ecology, endangerment refers to a species whose survival is at high risk in the near future. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) uses categories such as Vulnerable, Endangered, and Critically Endangered to indicate increasing levels of threat. Causes include habitat destruction, overexploitation, invasive species, climate change, pollution, and disease. Endangerment can lead to reductions in population size and genetic diversity, with cascading effects on ecosystems.

In safety and risk management, endangerment describes conditions that could threaten people, property, or environments. Risk assessment identifies hazards, exposure, and vulnerability, aiming to reduce the probability and severity of harm through engineering controls, policies, and emergency planning.

Conservation and policy responses seek to prevent endangerment from progressing. Strategies include habitat protection and restoration, legal protection, sustainable use, captive breeding, relocation, monitoring, and international cooperation. Ethical and social considerations address the needs of local communities and the equitable distribution of resources.