TY - JOUR
T1 - Management resourcing and government transparency are key drivers of biodiversity outcomes in Southeast Asian protected areas
AU - Graham, Victoria
AU - Geldmann, Jonas
AU - Adams, Vanessa M.
AU - Grech, Alana
AU - Deinetf, Stefanie
AU - Chang, Hsing-Chung
PY - 2021/1
Y1 - 2021/1
N2 - Protected areas aim to conserve nature by providing safe havens for biodiversity. However, protection from habitat loss, poaching and other threats, is not guaranteed without adequate investment in their management. Here, we examine the relationship between management effectiveness using the Management Effectiveness Tracking Tool (METT) and trends of 79 populations of mammals and birds in 12 Southeast Asian protected areas from Cambodia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. Despite the negative influence of corruption on species population change, we find evidence that adequate financial and human resourcing are important determinants in achieving good biodiversity outcomes. Management resourcing, national government transparency and body size collectively explain 29% of the variation in animal population trends in our model. Our paper contributes to a growing evidence base linking management resourcing shortfalls to declining biodiversity populations in protected areas. Our key findings are relevant to international funding agencies, governments and NGOs, to aid decision making around the allocation of conservation resources in Southeast Asia.
AB - Protected areas aim to conserve nature by providing safe havens for biodiversity. However, protection from habitat loss, poaching and other threats, is not guaranteed without adequate investment in their management. Here, we examine the relationship between management effectiveness using the Management Effectiveness Tracking Tool (METT) and trends of 79 populations of mammals and birds in 12 Southeast Asian protected areas from Cambodia, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. Despite the negative influence of corruption on species population change, we find evidence that adequate financial and human resourcing are important determinants in achieving good biodiversity outcomes. Management resourcing, national government transparency and body size collectively explain 29% of the variation in animal population trends in our model. Our paper contributes to a growing evidence base linking management resourcing shortfalls to declining biodiversity populations in protected areas. Our key findings are relevant to international funding agencies, governments and NGOs, to aid decision making around the allocation of conservation resources in Southeast Asia.
KW - Protected areas
KW - Biodiversity
KW - Animal population trends
KW - Management effectiveness tracking tool
KW - Government transparency
KW - Living planet database
KW - Southeast Asia
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85097634910&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.biocon.2020.108875
DO - 10.1016/j.biocon.2020.108875
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85097634910
SN - 0006-3207
VL - 253
SP - 1
EP - 7
JO - Biological Conservation
JF - Biological Conservation
M1 - 108875
ER -