Question

Summarize the human social elements necessary to address when designing a conservation plan.

Answer 1

A conservation plan is a sort of ‘navigation chart’ with strategic directions, which is designed to guide conservationist to achieve certain targeted goals and objectives. It is important to note that there are both positive and negative social effects of conservation, in terms of their benefits and costs, respectively.  

Social justice in conservation policy has been in practice since the 1980s. It is important to note that local people have rights over their resources. Thus, human social elements addressed while designing a conservation plan relates to the well-being of local people, assurance of the fact that how these people can remain connected with their lands and resources and how human use can be ensured and recognized, as a part of ecological systems and landscapes. Thus, the plans have to recognize the rights of local people to their resources for earning a livelihood and also compensating for the losses. Involving local people in conservation will result in easier attainment of the goals of conservation, making it more sustainable and enriching biodiversity.

Thus, conservation plans include targeted compensation or alternative income-generating works as a form of compensation, revenue sharing from park fees, indigenous territorial management, community forestry and fisheries, community-based wildlife management, integrated conservation and development and community conservation.