As governments prepare to gather in Armenia for the UN biodiversity summit, researchers are highlighting a conservation approach that recognises places where nature thrives beyond conventional protected areas.
Known as “other effective area-based conservation measures”, or OECMs, these areas sustain biodiversity over the long term, even when conservation is not their primary purpose. They could help countries meet the global “30 by 30” target to conserve at least 30% of land, inland waters, coastal areas and oceans by 2030.
Researchers from the University of Exeter, Jersey International Centre for Advanced Studies, the University of Kent, Manchester Metropolitan University and the University of Gibraltar have reviewed the emerging role of OECMs in global conservation policy. Their analysis explores how these areas can support biodiversity while recognising local stewardship, livelihoods and cultural values.
Lead author Catherine Wensink, Executive Director, UK Overseas Territories Conservation Forum, and a PhD researcher at the University of Exeter and Jersey International Centre for Advanced Studies, said: “Countries have not waited for the global debate on OECMs to be settled; they have already started putting them into practice. What has been fascinating about this research is tracing their development through a rapidly evolving global debate and down to the practical realities of a small, biodiverse Caribbean island. It shows how a global conservation idea can look very different in the places where it actually has to work.”
The review examines the conditions needed for OECMs to deliver lasting benefits, including effective governance, respect for rights and resilience to climate change.
The findings are relevant to COP17 – the next meeting of governments under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, which will take place from 19-30 October in Yerevan, Armenia. The summit will assess progress towards global biodiversity goals, including the contribution of protected areas and OECMs.
OECMs broaden the range of places that can be recognised for their contribution to conservation. Landscapes and waters managed by Indigenous Peoples and local communities, farmers and private landowners may sustain important biodiversity alongside other activities. The review considers settings as varied as sacred grounds, pastoral lands, orchards and surf breaks, alongside less familiar environments such as underground systems and thermal vents.
These places do not qualify simply because they contain wildlife or have cultural importance. Recognition must be supported by effective governance and management that deliver sustained biodiversity benefits.
The researchers caution that recognising an area as an OECM is only a starting point. Without clear responsibilities, adequate support and evidence of ecological outcomes, recognition risks becoming a paper promise. Implementation must also respect the rights and decision-making authority of the people who govern and use these places.
For co-author Professor Julia E. Fa, of Manchester Metropolitan University and the University of Gibraltar, the key is translating recognition into lasting benefits: “OECMs offer an opportunity to recognise conservation rooted in people’s everyday relationships with land and water. But recognition must come with support for the people responsible for these places, respect for their rights, and evidence that biodiversity is being sustained. Their success will depend on what happens on the ground: who makes decisions, how livelihoods are supported, and whether management can adapt as conditions change.”
The review also examines the geopolitical implications of OECMs and the growing role of technologies for monitoring ecosystems and species. It highlights the importance of assessing whether conservation benefits can persist as climate change alters habitats and wildlife distribution.
The research offers a practical basis for widening conservation efforts: identify places already sustaining biodiversity, understand the conditions that make this possible, and support their stewards. Carefully implemented, OECMs could help countries advance global conservation goals while strengthening the relationships between people and the places on which they depend.
The review, published in the Annual Review of Environment and Resource s, is entitled: “Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs) in Global Area-Based Conservation.”
Annual Review of Environment and Resources
10.1146/annurev-environ-121124-060839.
Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measures (OECMs) in Global Area-Based Conservation.
15-Oct-2026