The political ecology of prioritization between conservation strategies in Peru

Understanding prioritization diversity

My project aims to explore the relationships between international and national strategies of prioritization for biodiversity conservation, and the local communities´ approach to prioritization for conservation within area-based conservation strategies in Peru. My starting point is to identify, compare, and contrast knowledge systems of biodiversity conservation from stakeholders involved in two key area-based conservation initiatives that highlight different governance schemes in Peruvian protected areas and tropical montane agricultural landscapes. Then I will analyze the decision-making processes behind the implementation and prioritization of conservation strategies using the framework for evaluating the justice dimensions of conservation data (Pritchard et al., 2022) and an epistemology of the south approach in collaboration with the main stakeholders. And, finally, I will discuss challenges to prioritization of conservation in an ecologically and socially just way, and the debates around justice in conservation. 

Karla Ramirez Capetillo

Doctoral Researcher