overexploit

Overexploitation is the act or process of using resources, labor, or systems at a rate or intensity that cannot be sustained over time. The term is used in environmental science, economics, and policy to describe practices that outpace regeneration or ethical norms, leading to harm or instability.

In ecological and natural-resource contexts, overexploitation refers to extracting wildlife, fisheries, forests, water, or soil beyond regenerative capacity. Causes include rapid market demand, subsidies, insecure property rights, and weak governance. Indicators include declining populations, diminishing catch-per-effort, soil degradation, groundwater depletion, and habitat loss.

In social and economic contexts, it can describe the excessive or coercive use of human labor and resources, such as forced or underpaid labor, unsafe working conditions, or land grabbing. Overexploitation can also occur through tourism and culture, where heritage sites bear excessive visitation pressure, potentially degrading their value and meaning.

Examples commonly cited include overfishing of large ocean stocks leading to population collapses, and groundwater depletion in arid regions that causes subsidence and reduced water security. Deforestation driven by commodity production also reflects overexploitation of forests and their ecological functions.

Mitigation focuses on sustainable management and governance: establishing quotas, licenses, and protected areas; strengthening property rights and enforcement; supporting community-based resource management; improving supply-chain transparency and certification; and reducing demand through efficiency, substitution, and alternative livelihoods.