BMZ Support for Protected Areas
Protected areas, such as biosphere reserves and national parks, are geographically defined areas created to conserve biodiversity and healthy ecosystems across the globe. At the same time, the establishment of these areas often goes hand in hand with restrictions on their use, which can negatively impact the socio-economic development of local communities. In its bilateral support for protected areas, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (Bundesministerium für Wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung, BMZ) aims to conserve biodiversity and at the same time promote opportunities for sustainable development. In this context, the German Institute for Development Evaluation evaluated the support that the BMZ provided to protected areas between 2016 and 2021, focussing especially on the integration of both conservation and socio-economic development aims. The evaluation concluded in November 2024.
Functioning ecosystems are essential for sustainable development. However, they are increasingly threatened by climate change, environmental pollution and biodiversity loss. Thus, many international commitments – including the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD, Rio de Janeiro, 1992) – express the need to conserve ecosystems, species and genetic diversity. Notably, the principles set out in the CBD were developed further by the 2022 Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, in which it was agreed that 30% of global surface area should be protected by 2030. Nevertheless, to conserve biodiversity in the long term, it is also crucial to understand that there are economic pressures on protected areas, and so the interests and customs of local communities and stakeholders must be taken into account.
To balance the demands of conservation and local land use, the BMZ is pursuing two overarching objectives. On the one hand, its development cooperation interventions are designed to contribute to the global conservation of biodiversity. At the same time, the BMZ strives to generate sustainable income opportunities for local communities. Significantly, Germany’s development cooperation measures place great importance on engaging with local communities and stakeholders to achieve these diverse goals.
In its evaluation, DEval assessed how the BMZ managed potential tensions between ecological and socio-economic goals in its support for protected areas. DEval also considered whether the BMZ implemented participatory practices in its interventions, among other aspects.
Background
Biodiversity is the foundation of human life, and so its conservation is a matter of global importance. The CBD signatories have committed to come together to protect biodiversity. Notably, the convention stresses that the Global North holds a particular responsibility for supporting the countries of the Global South in reaching their biodiversity goals. Germany, as a signatory of the convention, has therefore announced that it will increase its biodiversity conservation spending to 1.5 billion euro annually by 2025 in order to fulfil this responsibility. Support for protected areas is part of this overall commitment.
Nevertheless, ecological objectives cannot be considered in isolation from other development goals. A holistic approach to sustainable development requires us to realise social and economic development goals alongside ecological ones. The multidimensionality of development goals, which is embedded into the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, is also reflected in the cross-cutting themes of the BMZ’s reform agenda, ‘BMZ 2030’. This means that future-oriented development cooperation must both create synergies between various goals and also manage tensions between them. The BMZ’s support for protected areas is an illustrative case study of how ecological goals of global importance and the socio-economic interests of local communities and stakeholders intersect.
Objectives
DEval’s evaluation aims to retrospectively provide an account of the BMZ’s utilisation of public funds, as well as provide insights that support institutional learning. Consequently, the results of the evaluation are intended to contribute to shaping Germany’s overall evidence-based development cooperation model when it comes to supporting protected areas.
Methods
This evaluation uses a theory-based approach and integrates several different methods. Both quantitative elements (e.g. online surveys of those involved in implementing Germany’s support measures for protected areas, portfolio analysis, analysis of ecological and socio-economic indicators) and qualitative elements (e.g. case studies, interviews with stakeholders and experts, document analysis) were used.
Results and Recommendations
The evaluation shows that support for protected areas faces challenges globally. While the conservation of biodiversity is an international priority in theory, conservation and land use demands are often difficult to reconcile in practice. Country-specific factors, such as geographical location, climatic conditions, economic context and the political and social system, also play a role. The question of how to support protected areas demonstrates how intertwined the sustainability goals of the 2030 Agenda are and emphasises the importance of a holistic approach to development cooperation.
Following the evaluation, DEval recommends maintaining support for protected areas, at least at the current level. The analysis shows that Germany’s development cooperation interventions are contributing to the short-term stabilisation of biodiversity, as well as the socio-economic situation in protected areas.
However, support for protected areas can only partially reduce the economic pressure on these areas. DEval’s evaluation shows that, in order to protect these areas in the long term, the economic pressure on the land must be reduced; therefore, DEval recommends that support for protected areas expands to take into consideration socio-economic activities. Identifying the reasons why natural resources are used unsustainably in various contexts can help in developing alternative income-generating strategies for local communities, thereby supporting the long-term sustainable use of protected areas.
Additionally, DEval recommends that the BMZ and other organisations involved in managing protected areas focus more on including local communities, especially vulnerable groups, in the planning and implementation of their interventions. This should help with striking a balance between the conservation and land use needs of protected areas, and also ensure interventions are adapted to the needs of local stakeholders.
Further recommendations include: strengthen the BMZ’s cooperation with other donors and partner governments, and improve monitoring of the effects of interventions in this field.
Contact
Anna Sting
Phone: +49 228-336907-319
E-mail: anna.sting@DEval.org
Amélie Gräfin zu Eulenburg
Phone: +49 (0)228 336907-930
E-mail: amelie.eulenburg@DEval.org