Governance principles for community-centered conservation in the post-2020 global biodiversity framework

Armitage et al. 2019 Conservation Science and Practice

It is well established that Nature-based Solutions are often more effective if they are designed and implemented in a way that aligns with the perspectives and needs of local stakeholders. Community-centred conservation follows the same principle and some of the research in this area can be applied to NbS. In this paper, the authors identified core principles for community-centred conservation governance to inform the implementation of a post-2020 biodiversity framework.The first principle identified was building of multilevel networks and collaborative relationships to coproduce conservation solutions that provide social and ecological outcomes. The second principle was promotion of equity and opportunity for all, recognising the specific roles of women as agents of change. The authors also emphasise the importance of a ‘rights-based approach’, whereby local and indigenous communities lead conservation practices, and have their rights protected even if they conflict with conservation objectives.The principles identified in this paper can be applied to many community-led NbS projects. Read the paper here.