The construction of biodiversity in conservation policy discourse: A multiscalar analysis

Abstract

Biodiversity conservation policy must balance the interests of diverse actors, from global organizations to local communities. Because multiscalar policies often (re)produce international-level biodiversity narratives and discourses (BNDs)—simplified constructions and explanations of environmental cause and effect with ideological representations of actors involved—the priorities of local communities in biodiversity-priority countries (BPCs) can be overshadowed by global priorities. To better understand the influence of international-level BNDs on domestic policy and how it is implemented at local scales, we used critical discourse analysis to examine BNDs in (inter)national-level conservation-related policies and reports, key informant interviews, and participant observation, focusing on Africa and Zambia as a case study. Our results show that the nuance of complex drivers of biodiversity loss is often lost in BNDs, in part due to insufficient attention to large-scale drivers of biodiversity loss. Local decision-makers are tasked with translating complex scientific processes and values of biodiversity across cultures while synchronizing local communities' needs with international commitments. In practice, local-level policy often reflects international biodiversity commitments, situating causality and responsibility for biodiversity loss within local communities and domestic governments. We recommend that attention to BDNs and the deeper ideologies, assumptions, and power dynamics reproduced through BNDs is critical in our efforts to make biodiversity conservation strategies as equitable as possible.