From assessment to action: how SAGE enables local solutions for equitable governance in conservation

Equitable governance has become a central objective of global conservation policy, with frameworks such as the Convention on Biological Diversity's (CBD) Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework requiring that all protected and conserved areas be ‘equitably governed’ by 2030.

Yet a persistent gap remains between these high-level commitments and what is happening on the ground. How equity is understood, and the kinds of practical solutions that actors see as feasible, often vary widely across local contexts.

This research presents a thematic analysis of 2,252 actions proposed through 49 Site-level Assessments of Governance and Equity (SAGE) of protected and conserved areas across 19 countries.

These actions were suggested by Indigenous Peoples, local communities, protected area managers, government authorities and nongovernmental organisations as practical strategies to address identified governance challenges through SAGE’s participatory, actor‑led methodology. Spanning 20 categories, the actions range from fundamental to transformational.