The Achilles heel of participatory conservation

Abstract

Although participatory planning for conservation has gained prominence over the past few decades, whether this process is successful in protecting biodiversity is still controversial. Moreover, the initial, constitutive decisions about whom to include in the process may undermine the sometimes-implicit goal that non-participants will find the outcomes legitimate and equitable. Different pitfalls relate to the proper representation of all public interests, such as tyranny of the minority or conflicts of interest. We focus on the effective integration of the broad public interest into decisions on use and preservation of the environment, including biodiversity, and we argue why the broad public interest should be considered a prerequisite to processes that are democratic, legitimate and equitable. When narrower interests become entrenched, conservation conflicts can become chronic as opponents take irreconcilable positions and polarize debate. Participatory decision-making processes could be improved by codifying the democratic principles of intergenerational equity and the public trust doctrine. We make recommendations on how to integrate the broad public interest in conservation decisions.