Framing biodiversity conservation for decision makers: insights from four South African municipalities

Priority maps for biodiversity conservation are increasingly aimed at their implementation by local governments in their land use decision making. However, these biodiversity planning products usually rely on the implicit assumption that biodiversity and related concepts are the appropriate ones for...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Conservation letters 2011-02, Vol.4 (1), p.73-80
Main Authors: Wilhelm-Rechmann, Angelika, Cowling, Richard Mark
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Advertising
Audience research
Biodiversity
Communication
Conservation
Decision making
Economic development
implementation
Land conservation
Land use
Land use management
Land use planning
Legislation
Local government
Municipalities
Nature conservation
Planning
Politics
Preservation
Product development
Social marketing
Sustainability
systematic conservation planning
Wildlife conservation
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Summary:Priority maps for biodiversity conservation are increasingly aimed at their implementation by local governments in their land use decision making. However, these biodiversity planning products usually rely on the implicit assumption that biodiversity and related concepts are the appropriate ones for communicating the need to safeguard nature. We investigated the level of understanding of the terms “biodiversity” and “sustainability” of decision makers in four South African coastal municipalities and identified the prevalent frames of interpretation they held regarding nature conservation in land use planning. We demonstrate that understanding of the term “biodiversity” is very limited; however, the term is well linked to the natural environment. Conversely, the concept of “sustainability” is clearly established—but only marginally connected to nature. The frame analysis showed that the preservation of nature is regarded as fundamentally in opposition to socio‐economic development. Conservation is frequently interpreted as being a socially unjust endeavor, disrespectful toward people and lacking realism. We use these insights to provide recommendations on how conservationists should proceed to reframe biodiversity issues in order to more effectively mainstream conservation plans into local land‐use decision making.
ISSN:1755-263X
1755-263X
DOI:10.1111/j.1755-263X.2010.00149.x