the importance of biodiversity conservation

Every year, large investments in biodiversity conservation are made by governments, NGOs, and private sector but, given the current global funding crisis, the available resources should be carefully distributed in space and time, using a clear prioritization program. Therefore, novel conservation policies should: 1) be strategic and produce the greatest possible benefit for the money invested; 2) minimize conflicts with established socioeconomic activities; and 3) accommodate the pervasive impacts of global threats and processes, like climate change. Central to the credibility of such policies, conservation needs to be demonstrably efficient, transparent and accountable thus reinforcing the importance of systematic decision protocols and support tools to solve such non-trivial problems.