New study identifies barriers to conservation success

The inability to find or retain qualified staff and problems with local community involvement are just some of the barriers that prevent conservation charities from achieving their objectives, according to an innovative new study.

This research was the first of its kind to systematically catalogue and classify barriers into distinct groups.

Some of the problems identified included funding problems, inadequate leadership and a lack of strategy, with environmentalists constantly having to operate in "crisis mode".

The journal's lead author, Michele Sanders, said: "We suggest that this typology could form the basis for heuristic tools that conservationists could use to identify and manage potential risks to their projects, thereby improving decision-making, strategic planning and, ultimately, overall impact - not only in the conservation sector, but in all charitable organizations. Donors could also use it to improve their due diligence and expectations management."

The research was based on interviews with 74 directors and senior officials of conservation charities, most of whom worked in South Africa and Kenya between October 2012 and December 2014. These countries were chosen because their rich wildlife is increasingly threatened despite the large number of conservation organizations operating in them.

More than 80% of respondents stated that it is difficult to find and retain qualified and experienced staff. They said that ambitious conservationists often leave charities to get better pay, benefits and a chance to travel in the private sector. One interviewee added that ecologists are supposed to be versatile: understanding ecological processes while understanding complex socio-economic and political interactions.

Almost two thirds of them acknowledged that it was difficult to obtain support from communities on the ground.

One interviewee pointed out that the concept of "conservation" may be alien to local populations, while another said that poverty may prevent them from making it a viable choice for them. Unfulfilled promises and travel in the name of conservation were also highlighted.

A number of people - particularly in South Africa - felt that it was extremely difficult to find effective leaders. Many have described conservation efforts as lacking in strategy, often operating in crisis mode.

Given the urgency of new and emerging threats, they felt that there was a lack of resources available to develop strategies. This means that while charities clearly indicated what they wanted to achieve, it was less clear how they could do it.

The article, which was the work of researchers from Oxford University, the Open University and Synchronicity Earth, was published in Oryx, the journal of Fauna & Flora International.

According to Michele: "Conservation is essential because we must protect what is left.

"In my lifetime, we have lost 60 percent of the wild animal populations, and we continue to take them and destroy them. Not only do we cross global borders from which it may be impossible to recover, but it is a mistake to distance ourselves so far from nature to think that we can simply abuse and waste it.

"The sector receives $1.1 billion in aid from governments and multilateral agencies each year, but biodiversity continues to decline. Perhaps if the sector were able to act more strategically through a better allocation of funds, we could do much more.

"Nature is wonderful and wildlife is essential. We must protect it for ourselves and for future generations."