Over the last three decades, hundreds of systematic conservation planning (SCP) studies were produced, yet we have no reliable way of finding information on SCP methods, trends, and progress. In particular, the number of studies added to the marine SCP literature has increased exponentially over the past 10 years (Figure 1). This accelerating output of … Continue reading Research advances and gaps in marine planning: towards a global database in systematic conservation planning
Tools workshop on responsible sustainable development in East New Britain
Two weeks ago I was in Kokopo, in East New Britain, Papua New Guinea with a dedicated team from The Nature Conservancy, CSIRO and the University of Queensland. I was there to help facilitate one of their workshops on delivering tools that can help local-level governments (LLGs) work towards creating their land- and sea-use plans, ultimately informing their own sustainable … Continue reading Tools workshop on responsible sustainable development in East New Britain
Governance across the land-sea interface: Challenges & opportunities
In the context of increasing pressures on the land-sea interface, the role of governance is a potentially important, yet unfortunately an understudied consideration in our pursuit of sustainability. Existing governance can set the course for the fragmented decision-making that currently spawns many inappropriate uses of coastal areas and watersheds (e.g., land-clearing for agriculture without considering … Continue reading Governance across the land-sea interface: Challenges & opportunities
The Northern Australia Environmental Research Portal is now live
The Northern Australia Environmental Resources Portal brings together this collection of environmental knowledge to help us manage the opportunities and expectations for land and water resources of the north. Research from the Tropical Rivers and Coastal Knowledge (TRaCK) consortium and the Northern Australia Hub has led to a dramatic increase in the knowledge and evidence … Continue reading The Northern Australia Environmental Research Portal is now live
Can we protect the same areas to conserve terrestrial biodiversity and maintain coastal water quality?
The need to integrate land and marine conservation planning has been pointed out by several studies, yet to date very little emphasis has been placed on examining terrestrial management for achieving marine conservation objectives. Researchers of the Conservation Planning Group published a study that further advances land-sea planning through developing a method that can guide … Continue reading Can we protect the same areas to conserve terrestrial biodiversity and maintain coastal water quality?
Integrated cross-realm planning: a decision-makers’ perspective
A new paper on integrated cross-realm planning, led by Jorge G. Álvarez-Romero and other members of the Conservation Planning Group, is now online in Biological Conservation. We followed a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach to examine the foundations, current approaches, and key requirements of cross-realm planning. Over three workshops, our team of authors included people with … Continue reading Integrated cross-realm planning: a decision-makers’ perspective