Conservation backfire: Local effects of international protected area policy

Abstract

Protected areas (PA), promoted as the cornerstone strategy for halting biodiversity loss, often lead to conservation conflicts. The main standard of international PA policy (Target 3 of the new Global Biodiversity Framework, formerly the Aichi Target 11) promotes the expansion of these areas. Given the potential conflicts associated with PA, it is critical to reflect on the role of international conservation policy plays when applied to specific contexts. We discuss the risks of a PA policy whose implementation is biased towards quantitative surface targets through a case study in Southeastern Mexico. We reflect on the negative effects of following international conservation policy without adapting it to specific socioecological context, and how this can hinder the management of conservation conflicts. Finally, we discuss how an overemphasis on quantitative area targets hinders efforts to address the challenge of linking global conservation policy on PA to specific socioecological contexts, thereby compromising social and conservation outcomes.