Tradeoffs in incorporating conservation science into efforts advancing climate change adaptation: The case of Australia’s Great Eastern Ranges Initiative

Background/Question/Methods

The first continental-scale climate change adaptation strategy for biodiversity conservation has been adopted in Australia. The Great Eastern Ranges Initiative (GERI) aims to bolster the resilience of biodiversity by enhancing connectivity in eastern Australia for species migration in a changing climate. The Initiative is now being carried out on the ground, and is among the earliest national-level adaptation strategies for biodiversity conservation advanced by policymakers. In this paper we investigate GERIs evolution. In particular, we explore how policy-makers used science to inform their decisions, deciding on a continental corridor approach without evaluating competing adaptation strategies. To investigate this question we conducted a literature review of studies documenting how climate change might affect species and ecological systems in Australia. Primary data collection included in-depth interviews with academics, conservation scientists, public land managers, non-governmental land management representatives, and government scientists, land managers, and policy-makers working with expertise related to GERI and/or conservation policy and management in Australia. We also analyzed reports, publications, land management plans, and government budget documents related to GERI. 

Results/Conclusions

Results indicate that the GERI moved through the policy process in an expedited manner that in the end facilitated its implementation but generated criticism, potentially undermining its long-term success. Undertaking a traditional policy analysis approach and evaluating alternative scientifically based adaptation strategies would have prolonged the process, potentially precluding implementation. This tradeoff raises questions as to which approach represents the most appropriate and effective way to address biodiversity conservation in light of climate change. It also provides an opportunity to reassess how best to incorporate conservation science into policy-making designed to protect biodiversity in a changing climate. Climate change adaptation continues to garner increasing attention globally and this study provides important insights into the tradeoffs policy-makers must navigate in effectively utilizing ecological science to help inform policy and management decisions.