Miguel B. Araújo calls for integration of social and political realities into spatial conservation prioritization
March 31, 2025 — Despite its promise as a scientific methodology to support global biodiversity goals, spatial conservation prioritization (SCP) remains underused in real-world policy-making.
In a new Comment published in Nature Reviews Biodiversity, biogeographer Miguel B. Araújo argues that SCP must evolve beyond its technical roots to embrace the complex social and political contexts in which conservation decisions are made.
SCP, also known as systematic conservation planning, has long been promoted as a rational, data-driven approach to selecting areas for conservation based on ecological value and cost-effectiveness. However, Araújo notes that only a small fraction of SCP studies integrate social dimensions, such as local livelihoods, and consider political support — a gap that severely limits implementation.
“Conservation planning is not merely a technical exercise. It involves negotiating conflicting rationalities: scientific, economic, social, and political,” says Araújo.
The article proposes reframing SCP as a decision-support tool, rather than a prescriptive blueprint. By engaging stakeholders early and throughout all phases of planning — from data gathering to long-term management — SCP can gain legitimacy, avoid resistance, and foster enduring conservation outcomes.
Araújo calls for a formal participatory model that includes conflict resolution mechanisms, scenario-based planning, and adaptive management strategies. This approach would allow scientists, policymakers, and communities to co-create flexible conservation strategies that reflect real-world constraints and priorities.
“Conservation targets like the 30×30 goal of protecting 30% of Earth’s land and sea by 2030 cannot be met through science alone,” Araújo stresses. “Success requires aligning technical solutions with the lived realities of people and politics.”
This integrative perspective, the article concludes, offers a more resilient path forward for biodiversity conservation in an increasingly complex and contested world.
Figure: Original drawn by Joana Carvalho. A modified version is found in the article.