Incorporating Indigenous perspectives: an impact assessment of renewable energy development on wildlife conservation

Abstract

Transition to renewable energy is crucial for achieving the goal of carbon neutrality for the Tibetan Plateau. However, little is known about the potential impacts of the energy transition on wildlife conservation in the region, especially from the perspective of Indigenous pastoralists. Here, we employ an approach that integrates spatial overlap analysis, household interviews, and localized experiments to assess the impacts of renewable energy development on wildlife from local to regional scales. The results show that current renewable energy infrastructure, including solar and wind farms, rarely overlaps with wildlife distribution, and renewable energy development currently has negligible impacts on wildlife habitats. However, it is likely that original wildlife habitats across large continuous ranges will become fragmented by the increasing use of photovoltaics (PV) and wind farms in the future. Household interviews revealed a striking disparity in the level of concern about the impacts of renewable energy on wildlife between local pastoralists and the results obtained from spatial overlay analyses and site-based empirical assessments. Specially, 65.2 % of local pastoralists concur that renewable energy will damage wildlife habitats,and 65.5 % agree it will impact wildlife migration, which can be attributed to their limited understanding of renewable energy projects and their potential impacts. Random Forest models reveal that factors such as ethnicity, pasture size, and household demographics have a significant influence on regional disparities in pastoralists' attitudes. We recommended a roadmap to integrate policy, action, and research that simultaneously advances wildlife conservation, renewable energy, and socio-economic development. The study advocates the development of management practices promoting the implementation of wildlife-friendly wind and solar farms that are compatible with the perspectives and needs of local pastoralists.