Advancing social impact assessments for more effective and equitable conservation

Area of Science:

• Conservation Science
• Social Impact Assessment
• Environmental Governance

Background:

• Conservation goals now encompass social justice, including rights, participation, and knowledge of Indigenous Peoples and local communities.
• Social impact assessment (SIA) is crucial for aligning conservation practices with these evolving social objectives and improving governance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review methodological approaches in conservation SIAs and assess their alignment with contemporary social objectives.
• To identify advancements and gaps in SIA methodologies concerning rights, procedural justice, and recognition of diverse knowledge systems.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of peer-reviewed and gray literature on SIA methodologies in conservation.
• Analysis of empirical SIAs based on principles of good practice, including local participation and disaggregated social analyses.

Main Results:

• Empirical SIAs often fail to reflect expanded social objectives or methodological advancements.
• Few studies adequately incorporate Indigenous and local community perspectives, disaggregate data, or employ comprehensive mixed-methods approaches.

Conclusions:

• Improving SIA quality requires equitable involvement of Indigenous Peoples and local communities.
• Clear, appropriate methodologies and integration into governance are essential for effective conservation SIAs under frameworks like the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.