Imagining Change: Collaborative Conservation as a Driver of Transformation

A problem that deeply concerns me is the fragmentation between those who design and implement conservation policies, and those who live in, manage, and protect the territories day by day.

This disconnect perpetuates the invisibility of key actors, lack of access to rights, and the weakness of environmental governance systems.

The desired systemic change would be to consolidate a collaborative ecosystem in which communities, governments, businesses, organizations, and networks come together in a continuous, fair, and effective way to conserve our protected and conserved areas—recognizing the knowledge, leadership, and rights of those who inhabit and care for these territories.

What would the world be like if this problem were reduced?

We would live in more resilient territories, with strengthened and recognized communities, where biodiversity and cultural heritage are integrated as vital components of well-being, health, and sustainable development.

A key milestone to achieve this is the effective articulation among ambassadors, local communities, and national/subnational management systems—making their actions and achievements visible in the framework of October 17, the Day of Protected and Conserved Areas for Latin America and the Caribbean, established at the closing of the III CAPLAC (Lima 2019).

Other important milestones include the official designation of this date, the self-financing of celebrations, and the exponential registration of contributions to nature (IUCN).

Solutions are already underway: an annual roadmap that includes multilingual trainings, digital campaigns, regional alliances, zonal workshops, and a hybrid event that brings together, trains, and connects over 8,600 people to transform systems from the territory.

Ana Julia Gómez

July 2025

https://www.celebracionareasprotegidas.org/celebra?lang=en