Envisioning a resilient future for biodiversity conservation in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect societies across the world, the ongoing economic and social disruptions are likely to present fundamental challenges for current and future biodiversity conservation.We review the literature for outcomes of past major societal, political, economic and zoonotic perturbations on biodiversity conservation, and demonstrate the complex implications of perturbation events upon conservation efforts. Building on the review findings, we use six in-depth case studies and the emerging literature to identify positive and negative outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic, known and anticipated, for biodiversity conservation efforts around the world.A number of similarities exist between the current pandemic and past perturbations, with experiences highlighting that the pandemic-induced declines in conservation revenue and capacity, livelihood and trade disruptions are likely to have long-lasting and negative implications for biodiversity and conservation efforts.Yet, the COVID-19 pandemic also brought about a global pause in human movement that is unique in recent history, and may yet foster long-lasting behavioural and societal changes, presenting opportunities to strengthen and advance conservation efforts in the wake of the pandemic. Enhanced collaborations and partnerships at the local level, cross-sectoral engagement, local investment and leadership will all enhance the resilience of conservation efforts in the face of future perturbations. Other actions aimed at enhancing resilience will require fundamental institutional change and extensive government and public engagement and support if they are to be realised.The pandemic has highlighted the inherent vulnerabilities in the social and economic models upon which many conservation efforts are based. In so doing, it presents an opportunity to reconsider the status quo for conservation, and promotes behaviours and actions that are resilient to future perturbation. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.

Keywords: SARS‐CoV‐2; coronavirus; human–wildlife interactions; shocks; social–ecological systems; sustainability; tourism; zoonotic transmission.

FIGURE 1

A conservation issue highlighted or driven by the COVID‐19 pandemic, by case study site. (a) In the Seychelles, international tourism temporarily ceased, meaning a complete loss of funds for many protected areas, including the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Vallée de Mai. (b) Chimpanzees and other wildlife may also be susceptible to the novel coronavirus, creating a possibility of inter‐species transmission especially in shared landscapes such as Cantanhez National Park, Guinea‐Bissau. (c) The Eden Project, UK, was closed to visitors for 75 days, with estimated revenue losses of up to 5 million GBP. (d) In Sri Lanka, sellers were quick to adapt to lockdown measures, but fishers, small‐scale traders and casual workers appear to have been the most impacted by the market changes resulting from the pandemic. (e) The Cornwall Wildlife Trust, UK, raises funds from community engagement events such as this public beaver walk, many of which were unable to occur in 2020. (f) In Indonesian Borneo, conservation actions such as habitat restoration (in this case, the damming of old illegal logging canals in the peat) have been able to largely continue because the work is managed and carried out by small local teams. Photograph credits: (a) Raymond Sahuquet, Seychelles Tourism Board, (b) Kimberley Hockings, (c) Eden Project Limited, (d) Claire Collins, (e) Cornwall Wildlife Trust and (f) Muhammad Idrus, Borneo Nature Foundation Indonesia. Where individuals are identifiable, consent has been gained for the use of their photograph for publication

FIGURE 2

Delivering biodiversity conservation post‐pandemic. Conservation comprises multiple overlapping elements, which can be broadly and loosely defined by ‘communities’ (human: local, national and international; and ecological), ‘science’ and monitoring, and ‘policy’ or management. Biodiversity conservation is currently impeded by a number of cross‐cutting issues caused or exacerbated by the COVID‐19 pandemic, that negatively impact the delivery of conservation goals leading to suboptimal outcomes. If we are to promote positive outcomes for conservation in a future where the rate and scale of perturbations is likely to increase, we must chart a course for change. A set of solutions, synthesised from our case study experience (see map inset) and already adopted in some areas, could achieve positive outcomes for communities, science and policy, and achievement of conservation goals. Illustration by Nigel Hawtin