Developing and applying quantitative, interdisciplinary science to understand the human dimensions of conservation
We are joined for this week's seminar by Dr Robin Naidoo from WWF.
"The science and practice of conservation has morphed from an ecological endeavour to one that recognizes the fundamental role that people play in shaping its success or failure. Here, I will discuss how quantitative, interdisciplinary approaches from fields such as economics, ecology, and health can be integrated to investigate various human dimensions of conservation, at scales ranging from local to global. I will highlight how quantifying the costs and benefits – economic and otherwise - that conservation entails for people can lead to novel insights for theory, the design of conservation programs, and for communication on why biodiversity is important. I will discuss examples relating to community-based conservation (assessing effects on the economic benefits, attitudes, and perceptions of local communities), nature-based tourism (quantifying the contributions of biodiversity to tourist experiences), and protected areas (evaluating their impacts on the health and wealth of nearby people). The results from this research show that harnessing concepts and methods from multiple academic disciplines can provide insights on how biodiversity and efforts to conserve it affect the tangible wellbeing of people in multiple settings around the world."
