A new chapter in conservation management: Pacific Rim Conservation contributes to a new book on conservation decision making

Hawaii-based group, Pacific Rim Conservation, has published a chapter in a new book on conservation decision making. The book, “Transforming Conservation: A Practical Guide to Evidence and Decision Making”,analyses current decision making processes and offers new strategies and approaches to conservation management.

Pacific Rim Conservation, who are known for their work creating new habitat for seabirds in recompense for habitat loss through sea-level rise in the US Tropical Pacific, worked alongside 75 co-authors on chapter 11, “Creating a Culture of Evidence Use” which incorporates the organisation as a case study (alongside others) on its evidence-based practices. 

An excerpt from the chapter reads, 

“Evidence is a prerequisite for effective conservation decisions, yet its use is not ubiquitous. This can lead to wasted resources and inadequate conservation decisions. Creating a culture of evidence use within the conservation and environmental management communities is key to transforming conservation. At present, there are a range of ways in which organisations can change so that evidence use becomes routinely adopted as part of institutional processes. Auditing existing use is a useful first stage followed by creating an evidence-use plan. A wide range of possible actions should encourage evidence use and ensure the availability of resources needed. Seven case studies show how very different organisations, from funders to businesses to conservation organisations, have reworked their processes so that evidence has become fundamental to their effective practice.”

“Transforming Conservation: A Practical Guide to Evidence and Decision Making” was edited by William J. Sutherland (Miriam Rothschild Chair in Conservation Biology, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge) and is available open access through Open Book Publishers.

Reference: 

Sutherland, W.J.(Ed.). 2022. Transforming Conservation: A Practical Guide to Evidence and Decision Making. Open Access Books. ISBN 978-1-80064-856-2. https://doi.org/10.11647/OBP.0321

4 January 2023