Biodiversity loss is accelerating, largely as a result of human activity. Conservation outcomes depend in part on how people use and relate to landscapes that are also being affected by climate change. Protecting species and ecosystems is an important conservation goal, but people may also depend on the same landscapes for food, income and daily life. These needs can sometimes be in tension.
Such tensions are often described as conservation conflicts. They may encompass disagreements about what should be protected, how conservation should be carried out, who should make decisions, and how its costs and benefits should be shared. They are formed by different values, interests and experiences, as well as by political, cultural and historical conditions. Protected areas remain an important part of biodiversity conservation – they can help protect species and ecosystems and may also contribute to local economies, livelihoods and climate mitigation. In many places, however, conservation has relied heavily on enforcement where resource use is considered unlawful under protected area rules. Generally, resources are directed towards patrols, equipment, training, fines and imprisonment, though the evidence for the effectiveness of these approaches is mixed.
Conservation enforcement can also affect relationships between conservation organisations and communities. This in turn, may reduce trust or increase tensions, and rangers can face risks ranging from difficult verbal encounters to physical violence. In areas affected by armed conflict, these risks may be higher. Rangers may be injured or killed when conservation work intersects with wider insecurity. Such experiences can affect rangers, communities and conservation work itself. Rangers work within these difficult circumstances. Some encounter organised commercial exploitation of wildlife and illegal wildlife trade. Others enforce regulations that affect people whose identities and livelihoods are closely tied to protected landscapes. Many work in the same communities and landscapes to which they belong.
This can create difficult ethical pressures. Resource use may be prohibited under conservation law but still be shaped by need, custom or local views of what is fair. Rangers may be expected to manage these tensions even though they did not create the underlying conditions. Ranger wellbeing therefore deserves more attention in conservation policy and practice. When a ranger is injured or killed, the effects are felt by families and colleagues as well as by the individual. Families may lose income, support and care, while colleagues may experience compassion cost and emotional strain. Support should therefore be available to rangers and their families following serious incidents. This may include medical treatment, rehabilitation, financial support where needed, bereavement support and psychological care.
The effects of injury or violence may continue after the immediate event. Rangers who have been injured, threatened or affected by the death of a colleague may need support over time. Confidential routes to seek help, supportive colleagues and timely professional care can make a meaningful difference. Their safety and wellbeing should be treated as an ethical concern, not only as a factor in conservation performance.
In our recent paper, “Conservation Rangers Urgently Need Mental Health Provision,” we argue that mental-health provision should be part of conservation policy and practice. This should sit alongside fair employment, safe working conditions, appropriate equipment and access to healthcare. It should also include confidential support, peer networks, skilled supervision, routine mental-health monitoring and access to professional care when required. Training in communication, stress management, mindfulness and decision-making may help rangers manage difficult encounters. Communication training can support better and more respectful dialogue with communities, help prevent misunderstandings and contribute to de-escalation where tensions arise. However, training alone is not enough. It needs to be accompanied by fair governance, sustained investment and respectful relationships with the communities whose lives are closely connected to protected landscapes.
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Read more about Dr Mahmood Soofi and his research on his profile.