Effectiveness of 20 years of conservation investments in protecting orangutans

Effectiveness of 20 years of conservation investments in protecting orangutans. Santika, T., Sherman, J., Voigt, M., Ancrenaz, M., Wich, S. A., Wilson, K. A., Possingham, H., Massingham, E., Seaman, D. J. I., Ashbury, A. M., Azvi, T. S., Banes, G. L., Barrow, E. J., Burslem, D. F. R. P., Delgado, R. A., Erman, A., Fredriksson, G., Goossens, B., Houghton, M., Indrawan, T. P., Jaya, R. L., Kanamori, T., Knott, C. D., Leiman, A., Liswanto, D., Mach, M., Marshall, A. J., Martin, J. G. A., Midora, L., Miller, A., Milne, S., Morgans, C., Nardiyono, N., Perwitasari-Farajallah, D., Priatna, D., Risch, R., Riyadi, G. M., Russon, A., Sembiring, J., Setiawan, E., Sidiq, M., Simon, D., Spehar, S., Struebig, M. J., Sumardi, I., Tjiu, A., Wahyudi, R., Yanuar, A., & Meijaard, E. Current Biology, March, 2022.

Paper doi abstract bibtex

Summary Conservation strategies are rarely systematically evaluated, which reduces transparency, hinders the cost-effective deployment of resources, and hides what works best in different contexts. Using data on the iconic and critically endangered orangutan (Pongo spp.), we developed a novel spatiotemporal framework for evaluating conservation investments. We show that around USD 1 billion was invested between 2000 and 2019 into orangutan conservation by governments, nongovernmental organizations, companies, and communities. Broken down by allocation to different conservation strategies, we find that habitat protection, patrolling, and public outreach had the greatest return on investment for maintaining orangutan populations. Given the variability in threats, land-use opportunity costs, and baseline remunerations in different regions, there were differential benefits per dollar invested across conservation activities and regions. We show that although challenging from a data and analysis perspective, it is possible to fully understand the relationships between conservation investments and outcomes and the external factors that influence these outcomes. Such analyses can provide improved guidance toward a more effective biodiversity conservation. Insights into the spatiotemporal interplays between the costs and benefits driving effectiveness can inform decisions about the most suitable orangutan conservation strategies for halting population declines. Although our study focuses on the three extant orangutan species of Sumatra and Borneo, our findings have broad application for evidence-based conservation science and practice worldwide.

@article{santikaEffectiveness20Years2022,
title = {Effectiveness of 20 years of conservation investments in protecting orangutans},
issn = {0960-9822},
url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982222003153},
doi = {10.1016/j.cub.2022.02.051},
abstract = {Summary Conservation strategies are rarely systematically evaluated, which reduces transparency, hinders the cost-effective deployment of resources, and hides what works best in different contexts. Using data on the iconic and critically endangered orangutan (Pongo spp.), we developed a novel spatiotemporal framework for evaluating conservation investments. We show that around USD 1 billion was invested between 2000 and 2019 into orangutan conservation by governments, nongovernmental organizations, companies, and communities. Broken down by allocation to different conservation strategies, we find that habitat protection, patrolling, and public outreach had the greatest return on investment for maintaining orangutan populations. Given the variability in threats, land-use opportunity costs, and baseline remunerations in different regions, there were differential benefits per dollar invested across conservation activities and regions. We show that although challenging from a data and analysis perspective, it is possible to fully understand the relationships between conservation investments and outcomes and the external factors that influence these outcomes. Such analyses can provide improved guidance toward a more effective biodiversity conservation. Insights into the spatiotemporal interplays between the costs and benefits driving effectiveness can inform decisions about the most suitable orangutan conservation strategies for halting population declines. Although our study focuses on the three extant orangutan species of Sumatra and Borneo, our findings have broad application for evidence-based conservation science and practice worldwide.},
journal = {Current Biology},
author = {Santika, Truly and Sherman, Julie and Voigt, Maria and Ancrenaz, Marc and Wich, Serge A. and Wilson, Kerrie A. and Possingham, Hugh and Massingham, Emily and Seaman, Dave J. I. and Ashbury, Alison M. and Azvi, Taufiq S. and Banes, Graham L. and Barrow, Elizabeth J. and Burslem, David F. R. P. and Delgado, Robert A. and Erman, Andi and Fredriksson, Gabriella and Goossens, Benoit and Houghton, Max and Indrawan, Tito P. and Jaya, Ricko L. and Kanamori, Tomoko and Knott, Cheryl D. and Leiman, Ashley and Liswanto, Darmawan and Mach, Martin and Marshall, Andrew J. and Martin, Julien G. A. and Midora, Lelyana and Miller, Adam and Milne, Sol and Morgans, Courtney and Nardiyono, Nardi and Perwitasari-Farajallah, Dyah and Priatna, Dolly and Risch, Robert and Riyadi, Galuh M. and Russon, Anne and Sembiring, Juhardi and Setiawan, Endro and Sidiq, Mohammad and Simon, Donna and Spehar, Stephanie and Struebig, Matthew J. and Sumardi, Ibrahim and Tjiu, Albertus and Wahyudi, Rizki and Yanuar, Achmad and Meijaard, Erik},
month = mar,
year = {2022},
}

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