Work

Conservation Funding at the Local Level

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: ABSTRACT Indigenous people and local communities have an important role in biodiversity conservation. These communities are a part of most conservation projects, but when it comes to conservation fund management and utilisation, they are overlooked. There is no clear picture of how much conservation funding reaches local communities. A recent assessment by the International Institute for Environment and Development showed that, despite being the main stewards of biodiversity, indigenous people and rural communities got little to no direct support from conservation grants. Most of the time, middlemen or intermediaries handle and utilise the conservation monies. Funding channels are crucial since they regulate how the money is used; for most conservation projects, nongovernmental organisations act as funding channels. Conservation funding should be given directly to local communities. Direct fund transfer to local communities ensures the involvement of these communities in decision‐making and fund utilisation, which will ultimately lead to effective biodiversity conservation.

Source: Wildlife Letters

DOI: 10.1002/wll2.70020

Author: Jithu K Jose

Institutions: Botanic Gardens Conservation International, University of Hyderabad, International Union for Conservation of Nature, IUCN Species Survival Commission

Language: English

Topic: Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management

Subfield: Global and Planetary Change

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Life on land

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,500