A unique global study has found that wealthier neighbourhoods in cities have more biodiversity in comparison to poorer ones - a pattern that scientists have called the 'luxury effect'.
However, this study found that this effect is far greater in the more arid regions of the world.
This new study involved what is called a meta-analysis, whereby all of the previous individual studies exploring this pattern are combined to test whether the luxury effect is consistently seen around the globe.
Lead author Professor Dan Chamberlain from the University of Turin said, "Our study shows that rich people have greater access to biodiversity in cities, especially in drier parts of the world.
Co-author of the study, Associate Professor Arjun Amar from UCT, said "Extreme inequality and arid conditions in South Africa make the environmental injustice caused by the luxury effect especially acute.
