Governance and infrastructure as pillars of performance: A socio‐ecological analysis of Ethiopian botanical gardens

Societal Impact Statement While botanical gardens are often perceived merely as recreational spaces for a weekend walk, in the Global South, they are true lifelines for nature and for the people who depend on it. Our research in Ethiopia explored what actually keeps these gardens running long‐term. We found that strong leadership and modern facilities are not just administrative details; they are the essential foundations for protecting biodiversity and supporting community well‐being. By strengthening these pillars, we can build true climate resilience, ensuring Ethiopia's unique plants continue to protect local populations and provide food security, even as our global climate changes. These green spaces are truly essential pillars of human survival. Summary Botanical gardens are more than just lovely green spaces. They act as living infrastructure, protecting agricultural biodiversity and assisting society in adapting to climate change. However, their full potential is still unrealized in many regions of the Global South. This study investigates the key determinants of success for botanical gardens. To find out, we used a mixed‐methods approach and gathered perspectives from visitors, staff, researchers, and local residents. We explored three Ethiopian botanical gardens: Gullele (urban‐municipal), Shashemene (federal), and Dilla University (academic). We combined 280 stakeholder surveys, 15 in‐depth interviews, and field observations to understand their performance. Performance varied dramatically. Gullele scored high (4.08 out of 5), while Shashemene and Dilla University scored only moderately (3.60 and 3.45). The main driver of success was strong physical infrastructure (e.g., research labs, visitor centers, and irrigation) gardens with better facilities were 3.3 times more likely to be high performing. In fact, infrastructure had an odds ratio of 3.32, while governance followed with 2.51, confirming their importance. Good governance also helped, though less strongly. Our findings show that investing in infrastructure and collaborative governance transforms botanical gardens into multifunctional hubs for conservation, education, and community well‐being. For Ethiopia and other low and middle‐income countries, these are practical, evidence‐based priorities that can guide future investments and policy decisions.