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A framework for addressing racial and related inequities in conservation

Nature volume 649, pages 301–309 (2026)Cite this article

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Abstract

In 2020, a global surge of activism linked to the Black Lives Matter movement prompted scientists to stage an academic ‘strike’, drawing attention to the ethical responsibility of addressing systemic racism. This catalysed debate in conservation, adding urgency to decades of scholarship on marginalization. In this Perspective, we review this literature and examine how exclusion in conservation persists across intersections of race, class, urban–rural divides, nationality and power dynamics from local to global levels. We highlight how marginalization and ‘othering’ disproportionately affect Black, Indigenous and people of colour (BIPOC) communities, especially in the Global South. Expansion of protected areas and the prioritization of individual animal lives over human well-being can intensify such inequities. We propose a framework for more inclusive conservation: recognizing and supporting human rights, ensuring local community agency, challenging entrenched norms in BIPOC engagement, and fostering educational opportunities led by and for BIPOC communities. Amid shifting global politics, including reduced US federal support for social and conservation issues, this framework provides guidance to counter racism and exclusion. By rethinking conservation practice, it seeks to build long-lasting, equitable and inclusive approaches that respect both people and nature.

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Fig. 1: The RACE model for conservation.

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Acknowledgements

We thank N. Lartey for detailed comments on an earlier draft, and E. Renn for assisting with revisions. D.B. is the Olajos Goslow Chair at Northern Arizona University. This Perspective was inspired by discussions on racism in academia at the University of Oxford in June 2020.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Wildlife Conservation Action, Harare, Zimbabwe

    Moreangels M. Mbizah

  2. Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

    Tanesha Allen, Julius G. Bright Ross, Amy Dickman, Darragh Hare & Lauren F. Rudd

  3. Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA

    Shorna Allred, Michael Dunaway & Darragh Hare

  4. Department of Geography and Environment, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    Shorna Allred

  5. Department of Global Development, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA

    Shorna Allred

  6. Biological Sciences Department, SUNY Cortland, Cortland, NY, USA

    Andrea Dávalos

  7. Lion Landscapes, Teignmouth, UK

    Amy Dickman

  8. Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA

    Ritwick Ghosh

  9. Scrivner Institute of Public Policy and Josef Korbel School of International Studies, University of Denver, Denver, CO, USA

    Ritwick Ghosh

  10. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Pretoria, South Africa

    Maxwell Gomera

  11. Resilient Conservation, Environmental Futures Research Institute, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia

    Niall L. Hammond

  12. Department of Geography, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    Thembela Kepe

  13. Geography Department, Rhodes University, Makhanda, South Africa

    Thembela Kepe

  14. Fitzpatrick Institute of African Ornithology, University of Cape Town South Africa, Cape Town, South Africa

    Merlyn Nomusa Nkomo

  15. Dakshin Foundation, Sahakar Nagar C Block, Bengaluru, India

    Meera Anna Oommen & Kartik Shanker

  16. Greenhood Nepal, Kathmandu, Nepal

    Kumar Paudel

  17. Forest Peoples Programme, Moreton-in-Marsh, UK

    Anouska Perram

  18. International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) and IUCN Sustainable Use and Livelihoods Specialist Group, London, UK

    Dilys Roe

  19. Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

    Lauren F. Rudd

  20. Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India

    Kartik Shanker

  21. The Shola Trust, The Nilgiris, India

    Tarsh Thekaekara

  22. Coexistence Studies Group, University of Trans-Disciplinary Health Sciences and Technology, Bengaluru, India

    Tarsh Thekaekara

  23. Centre for Adaptable Western Landscapes and School of Earth and Sustainability, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA

    Duan Biggs

  24. Resilient Conservation, Centre for Planetary Health and Food Security, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia

    Duan Biggs

  25. Centre for Sustainability Transitions, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa

    Duan Biggs

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  1. Moreangels M. Mbizah
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Contributions

All authors conceived and designed the study, in particular, T.A., M.N.N. and L.F.R. provided early conceptual contributions. M.M.M. led the drafting of the manuscript. All authors edited the manuscript and M.M.M., D.B., S.A., J.G.B.R., A. Dickman, D.H., N.L.H., K.S., M.D. and D.R. critically revised the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Moreangels M. Mbizah.

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Mbizah, M.M., Allen, T., Allred, S. et al. A framework for addressing racial and related inequities in conservation. Nature 649, 301–309 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09892-1

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