Design Features and Project Age Contribute to Joint Success in Social, Ecological, and Economic Outcomes of Community-Based Conservation Projects

Abstract

Community-based conservation (CBC) seeks to align various ecological, economic, and social goals. While a number of comparative analyses have examined the factors associated with successful outcomes in each of these domains, far fewer studies have explored joint success across domains. Understanding when and how CBC improves multiple outcomes can generate more sustainable and socially acceptable policies and programs. Here, I use a comparative database of 136 CBC projects identified from a systematic literature review to assess which aspects of national socio-economic and political context, community-characteristics, and project design features are associated with win–win outcomes. Using multivariate logistic regressions within a multilevel analysis and model-fitting framework, I show that capacity building, local participation, environmental education, and project age contribute to win–win outcomes. These results hold across various national and local contexts and resource domains and suggest that general project design features can contribute to joint success in CBC projects.