Communicating conservation ‘bright spots’ – concrete, demonstrated wins for biodiversity – is vital for inspiring public confidence, mobilising political commitment, and maintaining the long-term financing needed to scale impact, specifically by expanding, replicating and accelerating actions that meaningfully improve biodiversity outcomes. Yet research on how best to frame and share these successes with diverse audiences remains limited. To address this gap, we surveyed 45 Canadian conservation experts on the benefits, challenges and opportunities of communicating positive ecological and social outcomes from protected and conserved area initiatives. Respondents strongly endorsed the value of success stories for demonstrating conservation impact, inspiring action and boosting morale within organisations, particularly in countering conservation grief. Narratives that connect people to landscapes – such as those highlighting Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas – were viewed as especially compelling. However, experts cautioned against oversimplification, which can obscure the complexity and resources required for effective and urgent conservation. Our findings underscore the need for strategic, evidence-based communication approaches that balance optimism with realism, integrate diverse knowledge systems, and resonate across audiences. These insights can inform efforts to advance national and international conservation goals and targets, including Targets 3 (expanding protected and conserved areas) and 21 (knowledge sharing) of the CBD Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
The roles of protected area law enforcement personnel are largely confined to protected areas and their buffer zones, with strong emphasis on core responsibilities for wildlife protection. Little attention is given to a potential role in strengthening wildlife crime enforcement within subnational or provincial landscapes, particularly through cooperation with provincial law enforcement bodies. This paper examines wildlife crime cases encountered in Nam Et-Phou Louey National Park, northern Lao PDR, then considers the roles of law enforcement agencies in wildlife crime suppression at a provincial level. Three pilot Provincial-Wildlife Enforcement Networks (P-WENs) are showing the way forward in this regard. The establishment and function of these P-WENs are discussed, with particular emphasis given to their strengthening through involvement of protected area enforcement officials and the prosecutors’ office. Dedicated task forces at the national level are also identified as an important component of tackling wildlife and forest crime. Evidence from Thailand and Nepal supports the potential effectiveness of wildlife crime enforcement if the Lao protected area agency plays a prominent role in the functioning of both subnational P-WENs and national level task forces. These examples provide useful embryonic models for developing effective multi-level arrangements within and between ASEAN member states and beyond.
Cambodia’s tourism sector has shown strong post-pandemic recovery, driven largely by its globally renowned cultural heritage sites. The country’s protected area network and high biodiversity offer opportunities for diversification beyond cultural tourism. This paper assesses the potential for tiger reintroduction – specifically in the Cardamom Mountains Landscape – to catalyse a new, sustainable wildlife-based tourism economy. Cambodia welcomed 6.7 million international visitors in 2024, generating USD 3.6 billion – figures that underscore the importance of exploring additional tourism products. This study estimates that tiger-based tourism in the Cardamoms could generate USD 5–7 million annually within a decade, create significant local employment, and contribute up to 2 per cent of national tourism GDP. Complementary mechanisms – such as wildlife levies, regulated safari zoning, community-based ecotourism models, and strong governance – could ensure equitable benefit sharing and long-term financial sustainability. By integrating biodiversity conservation with strategic tourism expansion, tiger reintroduction presents a unique opportunity to Cambodia to revive a lost species, stimulate rural economies, and position itself as an ecotourism destination in Southeast Asia.
Biodiversity loss demands conservation strategies that integrate evolutionary and ecological processes. Target 3 of the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework calls for conserving 30 per cent of terrestrial areas by 2030, emphasising ecological representativeness and areas of high conservation value. Using a biogeographical framework, we assessed Argentina’s terrestrial protected area system through spatial analyses of coverage, representativeness and inclusion of Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs). Argentina currently protects 11.06 per cent of its territory, well below the global target, with highly uneven representation across biogeographical provinces and districts, including critical gaps (<5 per cent coverage). Only 42 per cent of KBAs are protected, and their full inclusion would raise coverage to just 17.86 per cent. Achieving Target 3 will require not only expanding protected areas but also identifying other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs), private conservation initiatives, and ecological connectivity across human-modified landscapes.
In the multiple-use zone of the Royal Manas National Park, over 64 per cent of households rely on subsistence farming, with livestock rearing as the main source of household income through dairy products. The traditional practice of maintaining large cattle herds in the forests increases vulnerability of livestock to carnivore predation, intensifies competition with wild ungulates, and contributes to forest degradation, threatening livelihoods and endangered species such as tigers. To address these challenges, a self-sustaining Jersey calf-sharing scheme was introduced, distributing ‘seed cows’ free of cost with the condition to share any female offspring with other households. Five years after implementation, this study assessed the livelihood and conservation outcomes through a survey of 56 beneficiary households administered via the SMART (Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool) database. The findings indicate a 43.6 per cent increase in Jersey cows, reduced forest grazing, lower livestock losses to carnivores, and improved dairy income. The scheme enhanced equitable benefit sharing, strengthened community engagement, and fostered positive conservation attitudes. We recommend exploring similar conservation livelihood initiatives across protected areas, supported by regular monitoring to ensure long-term sustainability.
Increasing the extent of protected and conserved areas (PCAs), without ensuring these areas are effectively conserving biodiversity, is insufficient to achieve global conservation targets. At the site level, assessing effectiveness is an important part of adaptive management and a wide range of tools have been developed for this purpose. Collating effectiveness data at the global level is important for tracking progress towards Target 3 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF). However, the ability to synthesise insights gained through effectiveness assessments has been limited due to one fundamental problem: how to gather meaningful, standardised data given the diversity of tools applied around the world. This paper presents recent enhancements to the Global Database on Protected Area Management Effectiveness that will enable effectiveness information to be reported in a standardised yet flexible manner. While these changes represent an important milestone, a collaborative effort is required to overcome persistent challenges, including funding and capacity gaps. Prioritising the next steps outlined in this paper will help to facilitate the collation of PCA effectiveness data and improve understanding of progress towards Target 3 of the KMGBF.
Rangers are widely recognised as essential actors in conserving biodiversity, cultural heritage and the rights and well-being of present and future generations. Yet global ranger discourse and policy frameworks have largely focused on state-employed personnel operating within formally designated protected areas. Across Indigenous territories, community conserved areas, other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs), privately protected areas, etc., many individuals and groups perform comparable functions but remain poorly recognised and supported. Building on the International Ranger Federation’s definition of rangers, we introduce the concept of ‘non-state rangers’: individuals or groups who fulfil ranger functions but are not primarily employed or mandated by state authorities or subnational governments. We note that non-state rangers would include Indigenous rangers working for sovereign governments such as federally-recognised tribes in the United States. Drawing on typologies and examples, the paper analyses relationships between state and non-state rangers and examines associated responsibilities, risks and opportunities. It proposes practical approaches to identifying, engaging with and supporting non-state rangers and offers recommendations for ranger associations, conservation organisations and governments to strengthen inclusive and effective conservation governance.
This study examines the spatial distribution of parks in the city of Rio de Janeiro, assessing whether these areas are located in regions of varying socio-environmental vulnerability. Employing a qualitative, associative methodology – including literature review and case study – the research analyses the Social Development Index, ethnic composition, the Normalised Difference Vegetation Index and park locations. Findings reveal a pattern of climate injustice, with green spaces predominantly concentrated in less vulnerable, wealthier areas with lower proportions of Black residents. Although recent initiatives have begun to expand and revitalise parks and protected areas in more vulnerable neighbourhoods, significant disparities persist. The study highlights the need for a participatory process and further research on specific parks, their community engagement, and their integration with local environments.
The Kilombero Valley Ramsar Site supports 1.5 million livelihoods through wetland ecosystem services historically stewarded by Indigenous Peoples. This study documented Indigenous knowledge practices, identified continuity barriers, and assessed integration potential across 11 villages using 93 key informant interviews, 22 gender-disaggregated focus groups, 59 household interviews, and communication, education and public awareness programmes (n = 796 participants). Clan governance through escalating penalties (fishing bans, goat fines, grain confiscation) and sacred site protection sustained fisheries and forest cover pre-1990s. However, its 95 per cent abandonment over 30–50 years, driven by immigration of of many tribes including Sukuma people (~ 70 per cent), science-only curricula (~ 80 per cent youth scepticism), religion, globalisation and unenforceable village by-laws, have triggered pollution (~ 80 per cent waterbodies), destructive fishing, and forest conversion. CEPA training revealed strong support for hybrid governance: 85 per cent adult trainees favoured joint patrols of traditional healers (mbui) and rangers; and improved sacred site recognition among pupils (n = 490). Formal governance failures (remote enforcement gaps, absent legitimacy) underpin community demands for Indigenous knowledge systems reintegration. Kilombero Valley Ramsar site demonstrates the urgent need for hybrid conservation approaches that draw on surviving surviving clan authority to achieve Ramsar wise use principles where top-down approaches have failed.
Reconciliation and Indigenous self-determination have importance globally for the management of protected area systems, as these landscapes constitute key arenas where conservation, colonial history and contemporary struggles for Indigenous governance and authority interface. This case study examines the role of reconciliation and Indigenous self-determination in the Northwestern region of British Columbia’s (BC) provincial parks system in Canada. The objectives were to identify socio-political barriers to Indigenous inclusion in BC Parks’ planning and operations management and to develop practical recommendations for park planners and operations managers to support reconciliation and Indigenous self-determination in their work. Twenty-eight semi-structured interviews with Gitxsan First Nation Chiefs and Elders and BC Parks staff revealed that settler colonialism, residential schools and assimilation policies have created longstanding mistrust in the Province. Gitxsan participants emphasised that reconciliation is community-specific, and self-determination requires greater control, agency and governance over their territories. BC Parks participants called for regionally located Indigenous Relations specialists, co-management of parks and Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas to support engagement and relationship-building. The paper argues that meaningful inclusion of Indigenous Peoples in park planning and operations management is essential for advancing reconciliation, supporting self-determination, and addressing broader social and environmental issues.
Protected areas (PAs) and Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs) are nation states’ key conservation strategies to meet the 30 per cent area-based conservation target of the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF). Iceland is updating its biodiversity strategy, aligning with the GBF targets. The objective of this study is to progress the development of OECMs and to examine their potential in Iceland. Iceland has multiple area-based governance systems with various objectives, additional to its formal PA estate. We identify and analyse relevant area-based governance systems in the country, employing a stepwise approach based on institutional analysis and application of the IUCN-WCPA OECM site-level tool. The study identifies eleven area types for consideration while the analysis reveals their different qualities and challenges and suggests eight of these as potential OECMs. This first study of terrestrial OECMs in Iceland illustrates a considerable potential to expand such area-based conservation efforts. OECMs are not yet included in Iceland’s nature conservation policy framework, highlighting a need for national policy guidance, for which we provide recommendations
Global politics has entered a more transactional era. Although ecosystem services provide valid economic arguments for conserving biodiversity, these arguments do not resonate with politicians focused on tangible, short-term benefits for their electorate. We need more cogent arguments for conserving large areas of land that provide transactional benefits to voters. Climate change falls short; it is a secondary threat to biodiversity and has limited political support, except when inclement weather directly impacts humans through floods, hurricanes or droughts. All these disasters are fundamentally linked to water Paradoxically, the global water supply is becoming increasingly tenuous and variable, yet it remains intimately connected to the presence of forests and large montane areas. Developing an International Convention on Water would indirectly create an agenda that leads to the protection of a significant proportion of the Earth’s terrestrial areas. The majority of protected areas lie above 1,000 metres. They need to be managed in ways that conserve biodiversity while ensuring they supply a continuous supply of clean freshwater for the planet’s human populations and domestic livestock. Water could then flow from these areas into those with more intensive agriculture, industry, and the low-lying cities where most of the Earth’s human population lives.
The IUCN Green List of Protected and Conserved Areas provides an international benchmark for effective and equitable conservation management. This study examines the motivations and challenges of six different Malaysian protected or conserved areas agencies; covering government departments, private sector entities, and a community cooperative pursuing Green List recognition. Semi-structured interviews revealed that key motivations include enhancing international credibility, accessing funding opportunities, strengthening long-term protection, and achieving professional or organisational recognition. Community-managed sites additionally valued cultural heritage and ecosystem service preservation. Reported benefits of the process included improved documentation, strengthened management systems, enhanced staff capacity, and greater team cohesion. However, sites face significant challenges, such as procedural burdens, low technical capacity, and institutional constraints. Community-managed areas additionally face hurdles such as uncertain land tenure and constrained resources that hinder their involvement with the Green List. The findings highlight the enabling roles of strong leadership, donor support, and policy alignment, while underscoring the need for streamlined processes, targeted mentorship, and sustained institutional backing. Our insights offer practical recommendations to enhance Green List implementation in Malaysia and provide guidance for other countries navigating similar socio-political contexts in conservation governance.
Rivers are not isolated features, they are lifelines, and less than one third of the world’s large rivers remain freeflowing. Protecting free-flowing rivers requires honouring the people who sustain them, and embracing conservation as a shared, relational practice rooted in connection, reciprocity and care. Free-flowing rivers support dynamic flow regimes, sediment transport, species diversity, migration, and the resilience of landscapes. They provide essential services such as clean water, food security, flood regulation, and cultural values for millions of people globally. Despite their importance, rivers remain highly threatened and under-protected. This paper builds on the recent IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas guidance on inland waters, detailing community-based river protections that secure environmental flows and connectivity. Innovative cases from the Ecuadorian Amazon, Gayini in Australia, the Puelo and Futaleufú Rivers in Chile, the Bita River in Colombia, and the San Pedro Mezquital and Usumacinta Rivers in Mexico, highlight how local communities have worked with partners and governments to establish protected and conserved areas that keep their waterways connected and flowing. The paper concludes with recommended approaches to elevate rivers and their stewards in implementation of the 30x30 protection target and beyond.
In the grassland biomes of southern South America, high agricultural land value limits the expansion of protected areas, making conservation on private lands through voluntary schemes essential. These frequently limited in size reserves require livestock grazing management to maintain biodiversity, yet the effects of specific regimes like regenerative grazing on birds remain unstudied in the hill grasslands of the Pampean region. We evaluated the bird assemblage response to experimental regenerative grazing by comparing it to traditional grazing and no-grazing controls on a ranch with a Private Reserve in the Tandilia Hills in the Pampean region of Argentina. We recorded 36 bird species, including 24 habitat generalists and 12 grassland specialists. Bird abundance was affected by grazing conditions. Grassland specialists were positively associated with increased grassland structure, while generalists showed the opposite response. Vegetation structure was lower with traditional grazing, intermediate with regenerative grazing and maximum without grazing. The frequency and timing of grazing should allow for rest to ensure a complex vertical structure for grassland birds during the nesting period. Innovative grazing in small reserves supports sustainable use and habitat continuity in the Tandilia Hills, but its application requires cautious timing to avoid compromising grassland bird habitat during breeding season.
Much has changed in the ambition for and challenges to protected and conserved areas since the last IUCN World Parks Congress in 2014. As such, the IUCN World Protected and Conserved Areas Congress 2027 (WPC27) will be a critical milestone for global conservation, arriving at a time of ecological urgency and profound societal shifts. WPC27 will be organised around three integrated themes, each designed for their transformative potential: 1) Global Change and Biodiversity – Opportunities and threats for protected and conserved areas; 2) Scaling Effective Conservation – Securing gains and catalysing scalable, sustainable action; and 3) Conservation and People – Rights, responsibilities and relationships in a changing world. This paper synthesises the thematic vision and proposes sub-themes and key outcomes for each, outlining how they can inspire action, innovation and investment at scale. Although the themes were developed for the IUCN World Protected and Conserved Areas Congress 2027, the challenges and opportunities are relevant to discussions on protected and conserved areas at the World Conservation CCCongress 2025 and other global meetings leading up to 2030 and beyond. The programme of WPC27 will be developed to influence and inform a range of related multilateral meetings and negotiations
Area-based conservation is critical for conserving biodiversity, but its success depends on understanding and addressing its social dimensions. Here we share key reflections from an interdisciplinary working group studying the social implications of expanding area-based conservation under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework’s Target 3, also known as 30×30. Over two years, our interdisciplinary working group collaborated through workshops, quantitative spatial analysis and qualitative case studies to explore how approaches to implementing Target 3 may create challenges and opportunities for people living in and around protected and conserved areas, particularly since international and even national priorities can sometimes conflict with local aspirations. Our reflections emphasise that implementing Target 3 is not only an ecological challenge but also a profoundly social one. Based on insights from our collective work, we identify five ways forward for a socially just Target 3: (1) fostering dialogue across perspectives to support more inclusive solutions; (2) giving greater attention to who is affected; (3) balancing the focus on ‘where’ conservation is implemented with more attention to ‘how’ it is governed and managed; (4) mainstreaming social data in conservation planning; and (5) connecting insights across scales. By sharing these reflections, we aim to support ongoing efforts to foreground social considerations in conservation policy and practice.
Rapid urbanisation poses significant threats to biodiversity and ecosystem services, highlighting the critical role of urban protected areas (UPAs). However, UPAs face unique challenges due to their urban context and often lack formal recognition and integration into broader ecological networks. A central question arises: is a specific IUCN category or any other type of formal international recognition required to effectively recognise, manage and integrate UPAs in urban areas? This paper explores this question by examining the distinct characteristics and challenges of UPAs, social arguments for and against a specific categorisation, and proposing strategies for enhanced urban conservation and ecological network integration, drawing insights from various global experiences including Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Canada, Singapore, South Africa and the UK, from literature review and interviews with experts across all the regions. A new category could help elevate UPAs in global agendas and strengthen technical guidance and investment; though, it may not be sufficient without strong local leadership and governance. We argue for a flexible approach that emphasises improved data tracking, tailored legal tools, inclusive planning, and sustainable financing. As hybrid spaces that blend ecological functions with civic value, UPAs demand integrated, participatory strategies in urban planning.
