‘Participatory’ conservation research involving indigenous peoples and local communities: Fourteen principles for good practice

Abstract

Good practice in ‘participatory’ research in conservation, especially where it involves Indigenous peoples and local communities, has become especially topical following the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework in 2022. The Framework sets out three cross-cutting stipulations that have implications for conservation research: (i) that the important role that Indigenous peoples and local communities play in global conservation should be recognised; (ii) that conservation should be rights-based, and (iii) that implementation needs to be based on traditional knowledge as well as scientific evidence. This will require a paradigm shift towards more equitable, inclusive approaches to conservation that support local environmental stewardship. Conservation researchers can play a significant role in supporting this shift, and we see this as a rational next step in the advancement of conservation science as a meta-discipline. Here, we explore these issues from our perspective as a group of researchers who work with Indigenous peoples and local communities. We briefly review the history of ‘participatory’ research in conservation and discuss three cross-cutting themes relating to conservation research that involves Indigenous peoples and local communities: participation across the different stages of the research process; data collection methods and their relative strengths and weaknesses in terms of participation; and ethical issues related to Indigenous and community participation. Finally, we present fourteen broad principles for good practice, which together provide a novel framework to build greater equity into the development and implementation of conservation research involving Indigenous peoples and local communities.