Using the capabilities approach to achieve people-centered conservation

Top-down interventions carried out by state and nonstate institutions to conserve biodiversity and improve the lives of forest-proximate people (FPP) in the Global South tend to reflect economistic understandings of human well-being. More progressive and people-centered conservation projects are guided by normative visions of how the world should be, yet these projects are limited because the social dimensions of project design, planning, and evaluation often remain focused on quantifiable aspects of well-being. We demonstrated that considering human well-being qualitatively in terms of freedom and dignity can help achieve rights-based, people-centered conservation. We applied the capabilities approach (CA), a social theory that emphasizes marginalized people's freedom to live a life they have reason to value. First, we reviewed English-language literature to assess how the CA has been used conceptually and empirically to examine the well-being of FPP. Based on 31 methodologically diverse studies from 16 countries, we found that equitable access to forest resources is essential for the flourishing of FPP, capability creation for FPP requires strong and local social institutions, and FPP's agency (a person's power to act and bring about change) to pursue valued capabilities is often deeply embedded in collective structures. Thus, we developed a framework to guide people-centered conservation actions that promote the flourishing of FPP. We applied this framework to the Brazilian Caatinga dry forest, which is characterized by diverse use of forest resources and deep social inequities, and identified examples of conservation practices and their mixed influences on the lives of people in this biome. Adopting the CA can help ensure that people-centered conservation initiatives uphold FPP's rights and prioritize their well-being, while striving for sustainability.