according to a new environmental study.

And, the Bermuda Biodiversity Country Study says, almost 14 percent of Bermuda is already covered in solid concrete and land similar in size to Ferry Reach is being encroached upon by developers every three years.

These are among the findings of the report, a publication of the five-year Bermuda Biological Diversity Project, made public yesterday.

But despite the "shocking findings'' of the report, Bermuda is looked upon as a role model by other Overseas Territories when it comes to conservation efforts, said project team leader Annie Glasspool.

And the BioDiversity Project is one of the key reasons why.

Environment Minister Terry Lister, announcing the publication of the report yesterday, said the project had garnered international recognition as an "outstanding model for conservation on the local level''.

And, he said, the project had put Bermuda on the path to join the list of countries that have ratified the Convention on Biological Diversity, adopted at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro and approved by 180 countries to date. "The objectives of this convention are concerned with the conservation of living resources; the sustainable use of these resources; and the equitable sharing of the benefits of genetic resources,'' he said.

The United Kingdom ratified the Convention in 1994.

Besides being a comprehensive overview of the status of Bermuda's flora and fauna, the report outlines critical conservation issues and their social and economic context.

Mr. Lister said that the project's next phase would be to prepare an action plan which would bring Bermuda's conservation efforts in line with the requirements of the convention.

That, he said should be completed by 2002.

Dr. Glasspool said that the task now was to increase community awareness of conservation issues.

She added: "Bermuda is extremely fortunate in that we have in place a number of Government programmes and a number of organisations which have been protecting the islands for many years.''