Linking biodiversity conservation and poverty reduction: de‐polarizing the conservation‐poverty debate

Abstract

The published literature leads the reader to expect polarization between conservation and development communities as to the relationship between biodiversity conservation and poverty alleviation. A survey of over 1,000 conservation and development professionals does not, however, support this depiction. Indeed it reveals a surprising consensus of opinion that there is a positive link between biodiversity conservation and poverty alleviation. Where there is some division, is over the direction of that link-conservation as a means to poverty alleviation, or poverty alleviation as a means to conservation-but again conservation and development organizations appear equally divided in their views. Extreme positions often dominate policy debates, hindering progress towards effective, integrated approaches. Our analysis indicates that this may be true of the conservation-poverty debate. Debate is needed not on whether conservation and poverty are linked and whose role it is to address each agenda but on how to develop conservation and development programmes that find integrated solutions to shared challenges. This could greatly inform the process of revising national biodiversity strategies that has recently been started by Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and which potentially present a real opportunity for linking conservation and development in policy and practice.

Protected areas as elicitors of human well-being in a developed region: A new synthetic (socioeconomic) approach

“…This question is inherently related to the concept of protected area: sites where certain human activities are limited in order to maintain the ecological integrity of the site. Currently, the socioeconomic effect of protected areas is a crucial topic in the context of nature conservation (Adams et al, 2004;Dudley et al, 2014;Roe et al, 2013). This has become one of the key issues influencing the social acceptance of protected areas (Dudley et al, 2014) worldwide.…”

Towards more equal footing in north–south biodiversity research: European and sub-Saharan viewpoints

“…Biodiversityrich countries will not be able to control and defend what is unknown to them. Without knowledge and trained professionals, biodiversity is devalued, with concomitant negative effects for conservation and local economies and poverty alleviation (Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity 2010; Roe et al 2013). Strengthening capacities for the effective use of biodiversity science in decision-making at all levels is a key priority, as also exemplified by the recent establishment of the Intergovernmental Platform for Bio-diversity and Ecosystem Services in Panama (Turnhout et al 2012).…”

Focal Areas for Measuring the Human Well-Being Impacts of a Conservation Initiative

“…Consensus positions among large conservation organizations have emerged in recent years on standards for the practice of conservation (12 conservation organizations) [8], conservation and human rights (8 conservation organizations) [9], and conservation-poverty links where a recent survey found that most conservation professionals share a view that conservation and poverty as linked [10]. However, this has not yet happened for measuring human well-being (HWB).…”