'Last Lands' explores global battle to protect planet's vital ecosystems

"Last Lands" is an expedition highlighting the commitment to preserving some of the world's most treasured natural wonders. It focuses on national and maritime parks, emphasizing the extraordinary efforts needed to protect these breathtaking landmarks. Beneath the beauty of each country lies a narrative of conservation that shows either the community's success in protecting these parks or the daunting challenges they face.

ABC News Live is teaming up with Global Conservation, the only nonprofit dedicated to directly protecting endangered national parks and Indigenous territories in developing countries, to present "Last Lands."

This new series is hosted by award-winning correspondent Bob Woodruff and highlights the global fight to protect the planet's most threatened ecosystems. Having premiered Monday at 8:30 p.m. EDT/9:30 p.m. PDT, the four-episode series is streaming on ABC News Live, available on Disney+, Hulu, YouTube, Roku and more.

It showcases the critical efforts of Global Conservation, governments, and communities to preserve the world's last intact tropical forests and endangered wildlife.

National parks hold historical significance and they also play a critical role in educating people about each country's heritage. These parks shelter awe-inspiring ecosystems, abundant wildlife and cultural resources that help support local economies. The first national park, Yellowstone, was established in the U.S. in 1872 to safeguard areas of exceptional beauty and bring lasting joy to visitors.

As tourism increased, the U.S. Cavalry was deployed to Yellowstone for its protection -- a duty now fulfilled by park rangers. However, today's rangers are grappling with new challenges as they attempt to keep up with changing ecosystems and rising pressures from environmental degradation.

Threats like deforestation, poaching, dynamite fishing and disputes over indigenous land rights plague these fragile environments. Every country experiences loss -- some of it preventable, and some beyond their control.

"Last Lands" sees Bob Woodruff take a global journey to meet those risking their lives to protect national parks. From cartel threats in the Amazon to illegal fishing in Indonesia, this series explores the fight to preserve the planet's last wild places. Travel through Asia, Africa and South America to witness efforts against deforestation, poaching and ivory trafficking, highlighting national parks' role in safeguarding endangered species.

The first episode started streaming Monday and takes us to Maratua Island, which is part of Indonesia's Derawan Archipelago. Many fishermen have resorted to bomb fishing -- also known as dynamite fishing -- in an attempt to catch enough to survive in the Southeast Asian country.

This illegal practice, which uses explosives to kill large numbers of fish, is not only destructive to marine life but also devastating to coral reefs, further disrupting the marine food chain and endangering fishermen's livelihoods.

Law enforcement struggles to crack down on bomb fishing due to a lack of resources. In some cases, a single patrol is responsible for monitoring a hundred-mile stretch of water, making it impossible to control the illegal activities fully.

Susi Pudjiastuti, former Indonesian minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, took a stand against bomb fishing, promising to arrest anyone involved. Despite the declining populations of fish, shrimp and lobsters due to high demand, the trade continues.

Endangered species are also affected by these practices. Sharks, sea turtles and other vulnerable marine animals are often illegally traded and sold. Although certain areas -- known as red zones -- are designated as no-fishing zones, local authorities still find people fishing there. They operate either without licenses or engage in illegal activity even with the proper paperwork.

"This is one of the main problems we face in the Derawan Archipelago … we have had the regulations since 2018, but not everyone knows about this designation," Dadang Mujiono, project director for Global Conservation, told ABC News.

Outsiders often intrude on national parks to mine or hunt due to scarce job opportunities. While mining is vital to Ecuador's economy, it poses a significant threat to indigenous communities as they rely on the natural environment for their survival. The South American country is the focus of the series' second episode, streaming from Sept. 23.

The rising global demand for gold has a direct impact on rural communities. While gold fills the shelves of local shops, it also threatens these communities' way of life. Once mining begins, harmful chemicals like mercury and cyanide pollute nearby rivers. This contamination hurts indigenous people who depend on the rivers for fishing, bathing and drinking, causing long-term health and environmental problems.

Criminal organizations have also taken control of mining sites in Ecuador, spreading fear and instability. However, after years of continuous mining, the chances of finding gold are dwindling, leaving these communities in a state of economic uncertainty.

In Cambodia, conservation faces another challenge: rampant deforestation. In rural areas, private companies -- many of them Chinese -- acquire land concessions and develop smaller towns. The series' third episode, which streams from Sept. 27, visits the Southeast Asian nation.

The coastal Botum Sakor National Park, once a lush green area, has been mostly cleared and burned after portions of it were sold off. Slash-and-burn agriculture, where trees are cut down and burned to make way for farmland, devastated the landscape and left little hope for wildlife to thrive.

"We worked really hard with the local people to kind of figure out what they wanted to do as a livelihood… what they did in the past was simply slash and burn … everybody was living day to day," Suwanna Gauntlett, Wildlife Alliance's CEO, told ABC News.

Cardamom National Park remains a sanctuary, full of trees and home to elephants and other wildlife. Its future is uncertain, as efforts to prevent land grabbing -- where large areas are acquired by legal and illegal means -- continue.

The problems extend beyond land ownership disputes in Cambodia, as China's hydropower dams flood indigenous communities and force people out of their homes. While the government sees the dams as a shift toward renewable energy, their detrimental impact on local populations is often overlooked.

In Cameroon, the illegal ivory trade has driven elephant populations to the brink of extinction. The fourth and final episode of the series, streaming from Sept. 30, shines the spotlight on the Central African country.

The trade is centered in the southern region of Djoum, a hub for poachers transporting ivory to the nearby country of Gabon, where elephant numbers remain high despite the poaching crisis.

The battle to protect these last lands continues as scientists in Gabon work to track the seized ivory's origin using DNA, hoping to bring poachers to justice. However, as the ivory trade persists and ecosystems remain vulnerable, the struggle to safeguard the world's natural wonders is far from over.

"Things have evolved a lot over the last 10 years, I can say," Oliver Fankem, conservation biologist at Global Conservation, told ABC News. "Now people are getting the idea of what will be the advantage of having intact forest, intact landscape, like really keeping that pristine and primitive forest intact. That is probably where the hope for humanity will come from."