This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: As governments prepare to gather in Armenia for the U.N. biodiversity summit, researchers are highlighting a conservation approach that recognizes places where nature thrives beyond conventional protected areas. Known as "other effective area-based conservation measures," or OECMs, these areas sustain biodiversity over the long term, even when conservation is not their primary purpose.
They could help countries meet the global "30 by 30" target to conserve at least 30% of land, inland waters, coastal areas and oceans by 2030. Researchers from the University of Exeter, Jersey International Centre for Advanced Studies, the University of Kent, Manchester Metropolitan University and the University of Gibraltar have reviewed the emerging role of OECMs in global conservation policy in the journal Annual Review of Environment and Resources. Their analysis explores how these areas can support biodiversity while recognizing local stewardship, livelihoods and cultural values.
Lead author Catherine Wensink, executive director of the UK Overseas Territories Conservation Forum and a Ph.D. researcher at the University of Exeter and Jersey International Centre for Advanced Studies, said, "Countries have not waited for the global debate on OECMs to be settled; they have already started putting them into practice. "What has been fascinating about this research is tracing their development through a rapidly evolving global debate and down to the practical realities of a small, biodiverse Caribbean island. It shows how a global conservation idea can look very different in the places where it actually has to work." The review examines the conditions needed for OECMs to deliver lasting benefits, including effective governance, respect for rights and resilience to climate change.
The findings are relevant to COP17—the next meeting of governments under the U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity, which will take place from Oct. 19 to 30 in Yerevan, Armenia. The summit will assess progress toward global biodiversity goals, including the contribution of protected areas and OECMs.
OECMs broaden the range of places that can be recognized for their contribution to conservation. Landscapes and waters managed by Indigenous peoples and local communities, farmers and private landowners may sustain important biodiversity alongside other activities. The review considers settings as varied as sacred grounds, pastoral lands, orchards and surf breaks, alongside less familiar environments such as underground systems and thermal vents.
These places do not qualify simply because they contain wildlife or have cultural importance. Recognition must be supported by effective governance and management that deliver sustained biodiversity benefits. The researchers caution that recognizing an area as an OECM is only a starting point.
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