Integrative Biodiversity Conservation Science

The research team on Integrative Biodiversity Conservation Science aims to support and rethink conservation and will experiment with novel conservation approaches to address three main questions: How can the management of different conservation areas be designed to benefit both nature and people? How can conflicts between conservation and local livelihoods be turned into co-benefits? Which innovative institutional arrangements and partnerships can render conservation beneficial for nature and people?

For conservation to become effective, it is necessary to resolve conflicts between conservation and local people. The team adopts an interdisciplinary approach to conservation through the application of nature-based solutions (NbS), ecosystem services assessments using participatory approaches and transformative conservation governance to maximize co-benefits and incentivize local people to take part in biodiversity conservation.

Our research themes and approaches thus allow us to promote inclusive and integrated processes to understand the current situation, assess bottlenecks, and identify leverage points and associated interventions for triggering and enabling transformative changes toward living in harmony with nature.