Debate about what proportion of the Earth to protect often overshadows the question of how nature should be conserved and by whom. We present a systematic review and narrative synthesis of 169 publications investigating how different forms of governance influence conservation outcomes, paying particular attention to the role played by Indigenous peoples and local communities. We find a stark contrast between the outcomes produced by externally controlled conservation, and those produced by locally controlled efforts. Crucially, most studies presenting positive outcomes for both well-being and conservation come from cases where Indigenous peoples and local communities play a central role, such as when they have substantial influence over decision making or when local institutions regulating tenure form a recognized part of governance. In contrast, when interventions are controlled by external organizations and involve strategies to change local practices and supersede customary institutions, they tend to result in relatively ineffective conservation at the same time as producing negative social outcomes. Our findings suggest that equitable conservation, which empowers and supports the environmental stewardship of Indigenous peoples and local communities represents the primary pathway to effective long-term conservation of biodiversity, particularly when upheld in wider law and policy. Whether for protected areas in biodiversity hotspots or restoration of highly modified ecosystems, whether involving highly traditional or diverse and dynamic local communities, conservation can become more effective through an increased focus on governance type and quality, and fostering solutions that reinforce the role, capacity, and rights of Indigenous peoples and local communities. We detail how to enact progressive governance transitions through recommendations for conservation policy, with immediate relevance for how to achieve the next decade’s conservation targets under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity.

中文翻译：

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土著人民和当地社区在有效和公平保护中的作用

关于需要保护多大比例的地球的争论常常掩盖了应该如何保护自然以及由谁保护的问题。我们对 169 篇研究不同治理形式如何影响保护成果的出版物进行了系统回顾和叙述性综合，特别关注原住民和当地社区所发挥的作用。我们发现外部控制的保护产生的结果与当地控制的努力产生的结果形成鲜明对比。至关重要的是，大多数在福祉和保护方面呈现积极成果的研究都来自土著人民和当地社区发挥核心作用的案例，例如当他们对决策产生重大影响时，或者当监管权属的地方机构成为公认的治理部分时. 相比之下，当干预由外部组织控制并涉及改变当地做法和取代习惯机构的战略时，它们往往会导致相对无效的保护，同时产生负面的社会结果。我们的研究结果表明，赋予和支持土著人民和当地社区环境管理权的公平保护是有效长期保护生物多样性的主要途径，尤其是在更广泛的法律和政策中得到支持的情况下。无论是生物多样性热点地区的保护区，还是高度改造的生态系统的恢复，无论是涉及高度传统的还是多样化和充满活力的当地社区，通过更加关注治理类型和质量，保护可以变得更加有效，并促进加强原住民和当地社区的作用、能力和权利的解决方案。我们详细介绍了如何通过保护政策建议来实施渐进式治理过渡，这与如何实现联合国生物多样性公约下的下一个十年的保护目标直接相关。