Putting people at the heart of conservation

“For too long, conservation has been seen as something separate from people — a matter of parks, fences, and protected areas,” says Katie MacKenzie of Jamma Conservation and Communities.

McKenzie and Lessah Mandoloma (University of Oxford) will explore this shift in thinking at a presentation at the Oppenheimer Research Conference on Friday, 17 October, 13:10 –13:40.

Their session, “Human-Centred Conservation: Communities at the Core,” calls for conservation that puts communities — not just wildlife — at the core of protecting nature.

“Human-centred conservation builds on decades of progress toward more inclusive conservation,” explains MacKenzie. “But it goes a step further. It recognises that those who live closest to nature are best placed to care for it — provided they have secure rights, fair benefits, and a real voice in shaping decisions.”

It connects conservation with broader societal needs — health, land rights, climate resilience, and food security — ensuring that people and nature thrive together. The same landscapes that sustain biodiversity also sustain livelihoods, so conservation efforts must integrate these priorities at the landscape scale.

MacKenzie and Mandoloma will share examples of practical, rights-based approaches that link ecological restoration with community development. When conservation is designed to meet local needs, it can restore degraded land, improve harvests, secure water supplies, and strengthen communities against climate impacts.

Making this happen, they argue, requires collaboration between governments, civil society, and communities — supported by long-term, flexible funding and policies that enable local leadership. However, barriers remain: many communities still lack legal recognition of their land and access to the resources and training needed for sustainable management.

“As the world debates how to halt biodiversity loss and build resilience in a changing climate, Africa’s experiences show that conservation is strongest when communities lead,” says MacKenzie. “That’s what human-centred conservation is about — aligning global ambitions with local realities.”

Ultimately, human-centred conservation is less a blueprint than a mindset — one grounded in respect, equity, and shared responsibility. It recognises that lasting conservation begins not in boardrooms or policy papers, but in the lived experience of those who call these landscapes home, says MacKenzie.

Jive Media Africa is the science communication partner for Oppenheimer Generations Research and Conservation (OGRC).