A global assessment of the social and conservation outcomes of protected areas

J. A. Oldekop, G. Holmes, W. E. Harris and K. L. Evans conducted a global meta-analysis on 165 PAs using data from 171 published studies to assess how PAs affect the well-being of local people, the factors associated with these impacts, and most important  the relationship between PAs’ conservation and socioeconomic outcomes. The researchers found that protected areas associated with positive socioeconomic outcomes were more likely to report positive conservation outcomes. PAs which adopted a management strategy which empowered local people, reduced economic inequalities, and maintained cultural and livelihood benefits prospered more when compared to areas where strict measures were implemented to exclude anthropogenic influences to achieve biological conservation objectives. The researchers affirm that conservation and development objectives can be synergistic and highlight management strategies that increase the probability of maximizing both conservation performance and development outcomes of PAs.

Conservation Biology, Volume 30, Issue 1, pages 133–141, February 2016