Climate-smart conservation: An opportunity for transformative change in the mainstream conservation movement

Abstract

It is increasingly apparent that biodiversity conservation science, policy, and practice need to account for a rapidly changing climate. In this issue of One Earth, Rhodes et al. propose a conceptual framework designed to assist conservation management in the new climate normal. Here, I discuss how effective and equitable biodiversity conservation under climate change also requires transformative governance models. It is increasingly apparent that biodiversity conservation science, policy, and practice need to account for a rapidly changing climate. In this issue of One Earth, Rhodes et al. propose a conceptual framework designed to assist conservation management in the new climate normal. Here, I discuss how effective and equitable biodiversity conservation under climate change also requires transformative governance models. Flexible conservation decisions for climate adaptationRhodes et al.One EarthJune 17, 2022In BriefThe impacts of climate change on biodiversity and the effectiveness of different conservation adaptation options are prone to high levels of uncertainty. Strategically building flexibility into conservation plans to allow future modification in response to climate change is an important way to reduce exposure to climate risks. We develop a conceptual framework to enable a more structured approach to building flexibility into conservation that explicitly links types of flexibility to climate risks and conservation decision-making processes. Full-Text PDF