Climate Adaptation and Protected Areas

Conservation policies can generate important environmental benefits, but their social and economic consequences remain unevenly understood, particularly under increasing climate change pressures. Who benefits from protected areas, and who bears their costs? Do conservation policies reduce climate vulnerability and improve well-being, or can they reinforce existing inequalities across communities? This project examines the distributional impacts of protected areas, with a focus on climate resilience, livelihoods, inequality, and the socioeconomic winners and losers associated with conservation interventions. This project is funded by the Dutch Starter and Incentive Grant.