Conserved areas: Obligations, challenges, risks and opportunities for successful implementation of other effective area‐based conservation measures (<scp>OECMs</scp>) in France
Abstract
Other effective area‐based conservation measures (OECMs) are a promising tool to conserve biodiversity in human‐dominated land‐ and seascapes, but their implementation still raises some challenges. Addressing those challenges is necessary to ensure potential OECMs are well‐designed, fitted to the local social‐ecological context and effective at delivering long term in situ biodiversity conservation outcomes. Here, based on a literature review, semi‐structured interviews, an expert workshop and four case studies, we assessed obligations, challenges, risks and opportunities that OECMs present to biodiversity conservation and to the maintenance of core social values in France. We show that successful implementation processes should adapt international standards and values to local social‐ecological contexts, be evidence‐based and participative, and be prioritized towards sites and actions already identified in existing action plans. Implementation processes can be hindered by a general lack of understanding of opportunities of OECMs, by the impossibility of a one‐size‐fits‐all approach, by resource limitation, and if costs are inequitably borne by local and Indigenous communities. There is a risk of creating implementation processes that would be either too simple or too complex, dominated by some stakeholders, and which do not consider protected areas or include technical mistakes. Opportunities include better integration of OECMs with protected area processes, assessment of past successes and failures in biodiversity conservation and resource use management, and easier stakeholders' engagement in biodiversity stewardship. Success of OECM implementation in France largely depends on the consideration of these elements. To do so, we recommend following some general principles of scientific, participatory and inclusive approaches and promoting interdisciplinary research. This could raise chances to create processes and procedures that will benefit nature and people, including in other contexts and countries. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
Abstract
Section titled “Abstract”Abstract Other effective area‐based conservation measures (OECMs) are a promising tool to conserve biodiversity in human‐dominated land‐ and seascapes, but their implementation still raises some challenges. Addressing those challenges is necessary to ensure potential OECMs are well‐designed, fitted to the local social‐ecological context and effective at delivering long term in situ biodiversity conservation outcomes. Here, based on a literature review, semi‐structured interviews, an expert workshop and four case studies, we assessed obligations, challenges, risks and opportunities that OECMs present to biodiversity conservation and to the maintenance of core social values in France. We show that successful implementation processes should adapt international standards and values to local social‐ecological contexts, be evidence‐based and participative, and be prioritized towards sites and actions already identified in existing action plans. Implementation processes can be hindered by a general lack of understanding of opportunities of OECMs, by the impossibility of a one‐size‐fits‐all approach, by resource limitation, and if costs are inequitably borne by local and Indigenous communities. There is a risk of creating implementation processes that would be either too simple or too complex, dominated by some stakeholders, and which do not consider protected areas or include technical mistakes. Opportunities include better integration of OECMs with protected area processes, assessment of past successes and failures in biodiversity conservation and resource use management, and easier stakeholders’ engagement in biodiversity stewardship. Success of OECM implementation in France largely depends on the consideration of these elements. To do so, we recommend following some general principles of scientific, participatory and inclusive approaches and promoting interdisciplinary research. This could raise chances to create processes and procedures that will benefit nature and people, including in other contexts and countries. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.