• Lack of transparency over cost of conser

    From ScienceDaily@1:317/3 to All on Wed Mar 23 22:30:44 2022
    Lack of transparency over cost of conservation projects hampers ability
    to prioritize funds for nature protection

    Date:
    March 23, 2022
    Source:
    University of Cambridge
    Summary:
    A new study has found that costs of conservation projects are
    rarely reported, making it difficult for others to make decisions
    on the most cost-effective interventions at a time when funding
    for biodiversity conservation is severely limited.



    FULL STORY ==========================================================================
    A new study has found that costs of conservation projects are rarely
    reported, making it difficult for others to make decisions on the most cost-effective interventions at a time when funding for biodiversity conservation is severely limited.


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    A review of 1,987 published reports of conservation interventions has
    found that only 8.8% reported the total cost of the intervention, and
    many of these were not detailed or standardised. The authors say this
    makes it very difficult to determine the cost-effectiveness of different interventions, and to make decisions on how to spend limited funding
    for biodiversity conservation.

    The review, by researchers in the University of Cambridge's Department of Zoology, is published today in the journal BioScience.This is the first
    time that cost reporting across a broad range of wildlife conservation interventions has been reviewed.

    "If we're serious about addressing biodiversity loss, knowing the
    financial costs of interventions is as important as knowing their effectiveness. But the cost of projects is rarely reported for others
    to benefit from," said Thomas White, a researcher in the University of Cambridge's Department of Zoology and first author of the paper.

    Dr Silviu Petrovan, in the University of Cambridge's Department of Zoology
    and a co-author of the study, added: "Wildlife conservation across
    the world is severely limited by funding, and the lack of information
    on the cost- effectiveness of different interventions makes it very
    difficult to prioritise where this money is spent." The work is part
    of the University of Cambridge's Conservation Evidence project, led
    by Professor Bill Sutherland, which has compiled a huge resource of
    scientific information on the effectiveness of different conservation interventions. It is designed to support anyone making decisions about
    how to maintain and restore biodiversity.



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    For this new review, the team checked 1,987 studies in peer-reviewed
    journals and other reports -- representing actions to conserve a range
    of different species and habitats -- to see whether financial costs had
    been reported. Only 13.3% of these reported any financial costs at all.

    "Even when costs are reported, the lack of consistency between reports
    makes it difficult for others to work out whether a cost is relevant to
    their project or not," said Professor Bill Sutherland in the University
    of Cambridge's Department of Zoology, a co-author of the study.

    He added: "It's frustrating because the people who implemented
    conservation projects probably do know how much they cost, it's just that
    the information isn't making its way into the scientific literature so
    others can benefit from it." The review found that costs were reported
    more often for some specific types of intervention, such as those linked
    with agriculture -- which the authors suggest could be due to the nature
    of farming as an income-driven activity.

    Planting hedgerows or wildflower strips on farmland to encourage wildlife,
    or applying herbicide to control invasive plants, for example, incur costs
    that farmers must factor into their operations and are easily measurable.

    In addition, costs were reported more often for conservation projects in Africathan in other parts of the world. The authors suggest this could
    be because projects in African countries are more likely to be led by conservation organisations that must prioritise cost-effectiveness.



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    The authors recommend that researchers, publishers and practitioners
    report the costs of conservation interventions in standardised formats,
    so that they can be used to improve decision-making by everyone planning
    a conservation project.

    They are now developing a framework to make it easier to report these
    costs.

    "There are some easy steps to be taken to fix this -- it's just about
    creating a culture of reporting costs as part of reporting a conservation project, and making sure those costs are in a format that allows others
    to understand how much it would cost them to implement a similar action
    in a different context," said White.

    The authors say that in healthcare settings there is also a need to
    efficiently allocate resources -- but unlike in conservation, healthcare decision-makers have access to a developed body of work that collates
    and analyses information on effects and costs. The effectiveness of conservation interventions can be more difficult to evaluate because many factors may be involved -- such as acceptability to local communities,
    or feasibility with the skills and equipment available -- as well as cost.

    At COP26 in Glasgow last year, world leaders recognised the connection
    between the global biodiversity crisis and the climate crisis -- and
    the critical role that nature plays in both adapting to and mitigating
    climate change.

    "We're losing global biodiversity at an alarming rate -- it's a real risk
    to society, and we need to be serious about reversing that trend. To do
    it will require unprecedented conservation action at a scale we aren't
    yet achieving and we don't have the finances for. So we need to be really careful about selecting the most cost-effective interventions with the
    money we've got," said White.


    ========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Cambridge. The original
    text of this story is licensed under a Creative_Commons_License. Note:
    Content may be edited for style and length.


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    Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/03/220323101219.htm

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