Research is showing us that environmental conservation and development projects can be beneficial to both humans and the natural world, so long as they are achieved with thought and care. This is important in confirming that progress for both is not at the cost of one or the other.
A new study, led by Dr. Trisha Gopalakrishna, confirmed that "integrated" conservation and development projects are more likely to benefit humans, animals, and the environment — as opposed to benefitting only one focus — as reported by the Guardian.
The study focused specifically on three general types of projects: carbon capture, biodiversity restoration, and supporting the livelihoods of people who live near natural forests, per the Guardian. Typically, conservation and development projects focus on only one issue and result in negative impacts for the other.
The study used the Nature's Contribution to People (NCP) framework, which demonstrates that "restoring nature and biodiversity can help communities thrive if it is done carefully," per the Guardian.
"Restoration projects sometimes have a narrow focus. … For example, if you focus on carbon storage, you might plant particular tree species and fence the forests off to protect them. … Unsurprisingly, our study shows that plans with one NCP in mind tend not to deliver to the others," Dr. Gopalakrishna stated to the Guardian.
The Nature Conservancy highlighted an example of such an integrated project. Human-made dams that have been made over the centuries are known to wreak havoc on freshwater ecosystems. Yet "removing all these dams is not practical — there'd be too much damage to historic towns and population centers," as per the Nature Conservancy.
In order to both improve freshwater ecosystems and preserve human populations, the Nature Conservancy and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are creating a plan to keep the dams, but slightly alter the way freshwater flows within them. The aim is to maintain natural seasonal patterns of high and low flow rates that species rely on.
Dr. Gopalakrishna's work echoes the importance of considering human impact, especially the impact on communities that have historically been marginalized, when considering climate solutions.
"Generally, I do think societal needs and especially equity needs to be accounted for in all conservation and development projects, which is the biggest leap this study makes," she stated to the Guardian.
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