info:eu-repo/semantics/doctoralThesis
Strengthening area-based conservation to support biodiversity and people’s wellbeing: A perspective from tropical regions
Autor
Lessmann Escalona, Janeth Del Carmen
Institución
Resumen
This thesis aims to explore the challenges and alternatives for tropical regions to strengthen three key aspects of Area-Based Conservation: financial sustainability, ecological representativeness, and equitable management.
Four main lessons emerged from the statistical and spatial analyses conducted in this thesis. First, the shortfall in funding for protected area management in Ecuador significantly reduces the effectiveness of protected areas in curbing deforestation. Second, to maximize species protection in the Western Amazon, the identification of new protected areas should incorporate information on the spatial variation of land conservation costs, consider indigenous territories, and implement transboundary conservation. Third, improving the ecological representativeness and equity of protected area systems in the Andes requires three transformative actions: (a) integrate “Nature’s Contributions to Human Well-being” along with biodiversity information into spatial prioritizations, (b) diversify governance and management objectives of protected areas, (c) strengthen the collaboration among Andean countries. Finally, the accelerated deforestation and inequitable management of protected areas threaten much of the cultural diversity associated with the world’s tropical forests.
This thesis demonstrates that the long-term success of Area-Based Conservation requires adequate funding, substantial expansion of protected areas in the right places, and recognition of the needs of the diverse stakeholders living in the region.