Conflict Sensitive Conservation

Conservation sites can be particularly contested for their value in biodiversity protection,
natural resources, and socio-cultural significance. Unfortunately, conflict around
conservation sites – whether around boundaries, rights, or other factors – can
undermine the environmental and social goals that conservation seeks to address. A
holistic and complex view of social-environmental systems is required when evaluating
the nature and duration of conflicts and their drivers, in order to find strategies to
prevent and mitigate conflicts. EPS has helped develop conflict-sensitive management
strategies in conservation areas such as the Peruvian Amazon, using participatory and
stakeholder engagement methodologies.