Conservation Funding at the Local Level

ABSTRACT Indigenous people and local communities have an important role in biodiversity conservation. These communities are a part of most conservation projects, but when it comes to conservation fund management and utilisation, they are overlooked. There is no clear picture of how much conservation funding reaches local communities. A recent assessment by the International Institute for Environment and Development showed that, despite being the main stewards of biodiversity, indigenous people and rural communities got little to no direct support from conservation grants. Most of the time, middlemen or intermediaries handle and utilise the conservation monies. Funding channels are crucial since they regulate how the money is used; for most conservation projects, nongovernmental organisations act as funding channels. Conservation funding should be given directly to local communities. Direct fund transfer to local communities ensures the involvement of these communities in decision‐making and fund utilisation, which will ultimately lead to effective biodiversity conservation.