Social Assessment of Conservation Initiatives: a review of rapid methodologies

Abstract

Land, seascapes and natural resources are increasingly being set aside for protection in response to various drivers: to tackle biodiversity loss, to prevent deforestation as a climate change mitigation strategy, to restore declining fisheries. Within the biodiversity conservation sector, the impacts (positive or negative) of protected areas on local and indigenous communities have generated a lot of debate and discussions – and this discussion is escalating as other protection schemes come into play – for example Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation.