Conservation often brings to mind images of rare animals, lush forests, or vibrant coral reefs. But behind every conservation success story, there are people, families, communities, and livelihoods tied to the same ecosystems we seek to protect. True conservation isn’t just about saving species. It’s about creating balance, ensuring that both wildlife and people can thrive.
Why People Matter in Conservation
Take the whale shark (Rhincodon typus), the largest fish on Earth. Protecting this species means safeguarding the tropical seas where it feeds and breeds. But many of these seas are also home to coastal communities that rely heavily on fishing to survive. Poverty, food insecurity, and lack of economic alternatives can push people into practices that harm marine life, even when they would prefer otherwise.
If conservation efforts ignore these realities, they often fail. Restrictive fishing bans without alternatives can fuel resentment or even drive illegal harvests. By contrast, projects that integrate human wellbeing into their goals create lasting impact.
Case in Point: Whale Sharks and Local Communities
In Madagascar, for example, the Whale Shark Project has built strong partnerships with fishermen. Instead of being excluded from conservation, local people have become essential collaborators. Fishermen share knowledge, help monitor whale shark sightings, and guide responsible tourism. This inclusive model brings income from eco-tourism while fostering pride in protecting the very species once at risk (Norman et al., 2017).
It is a lesson echoed across the globe: when people are partners rather than obstacles, conservation sticks.
Measuring Wellbeing Alongside Wildlife Protection
Modern conservation science recognises this principle. The Conservation Standards, a framework used worldwide, now emphasise human wellbeing as a conservation target alongside biodiversity. That means projects must ask not only “Is the species recovering?” but also “Are local communities healthier, safer, and more secure as a result?” (Bennett et al., 2019).
Metrics might include:
Increased income from eco-tourism or sustainable fishing.
Improved access to education or healthcare.
Stronger food security.
Empowerment of marginalised groups, including women and Indigenous communities.
By tracking these outcomes, projects show funders, governments, and communities that conservation is not a trade-off; it is a win-win.
The Bigger Picture
This people-centred approach isn’t limited to whale sharks. From gorilla conservation in Rwanda to mangrove restoration in Southeast Asia, the most successful projects are those that tackle poverty and biodiversity loss together. Climate change, too, reminds us that conservation is inseparable from human resilience. Protecting ecosystems builds coastal defences, secures food sources, and buffers vulnerable communities.
Call to Action
For students and young professionals, this means developing both ecological knowledge and social skills: listening, empathy, negotiation, and cross-cultural collaboration. For organisations, it means investing in certified project managers who understand frameworks like MIRADI, ensuring both human and ecological outcomes are measured. And for the wider public, it means supporting projects that clearly demonstrate community benefit alongside wildlife protection.
Because in the end, conservation is not about choosing between people and nature. It is about recognising that one cannot thrive without the other.
References
Bennett, N.J., Roth, R., Klain, S.C., Chan, K., Christie, P., Clark, D.A., Cullman, G., Curran, D., Durbin, T.J., Epstein, G. and Greenberg, A., 2019. Conservation social science: Understanding and integrating human dimensions to improve conservation. Biological Conservation, 236, pp.270–280.
Norman, B., Holmberg, J., Arzoumanian, Z., Reynolds, S., Wilson, R., Rob, D., Pierce, S.J., Gleiss, A., De la Parra, R., Galvan, B., Ramirez-Macias, D. and Robinson, D., 2017. Undersea constellations: the global biology of an endangered marine megavertebrate further informed through citizen science. Bioscience, 67(12), pp.1029–1043.