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Tradeoffs and synergies in community-centered conservation
To enhance the evidence base on which holistic approaches work best in which contexts, this paper evaluates Planet Indonesia's an holistic core model approach in West Kalimantan, Indonesia. The program supports community-led governance bodies (CGBs) both to lead local conservation efforts and engage with external actors. Presented is evidence from a participatory impact assessment (PIA) based on 20 focus group discussions (FGDs) with members of nine CGBs active in and around a nature reserve. The study aggregated FGD results to assess landscape level impacts in a way that takes local perceptions seriously and recognises the heterogeneity of impacts across different contexts and dimensions of human well-being.
Key points
- Human well-being and environmental protection are connected. While communities prioritised activities that improved human well-being — such as agriculture, financial security, and health — these priorities were often understood as supporting environmental protection rather than competing with it.
- Community-led governance can help manage trade-offs. Perceived trade-offs between well-being and conservation were easier to navigate where community-led governance was stronger.
- The benefits of conservation are unevenly distributed. Gender, leadership roles, and location shaped how conservation outcomes were understood and felt. Such variation must be anticipated and acknowledged in order to accurately assess and effectively improve the effects of conservation interventions.
- PIAs show potential for wider application in conservation. PIAs helped capture local priorities and perceived pathways of change, offering a practical way to evaluate and improve conservation efforts.
Suggested citation
Thung, P., Ahmad, A., Carmenta, R., Phelps, J., Zabala, A., Rodiansyah, Hendra, Sagita, N., Muflihati, Masitoh Kartikawati, S., & Miller, A. (2025). (rep.). Tradeoffs and synergies in community-centered conservation (pp. 1–44). Pontiank, West Kalimantan: Planet Indonesia.
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