Communities must be involved in planning and implementation when net positive impact activities might affect their daily lives or livelihoods. Land tenure aspects need to be addressed from the start, satisfying different stakeholder expectations and ensuring long-term sustainability.
The wider landscape and community needs and aspirations, along with national and regional conservation priorities must all be addressed within a company’s biodiversity management plan.
A communication and engagement strategy will help ensure that all land users, landowners and government authorities understand the biodiversity management plan and have the opportunity to air concerns and contribute to its development.
Approaches should be developed collaboratively, including input from communities, planning and operational teams, to ensure that plans are practical and properly resourced. NGOs must fully understand the operating environment of a business to identify strategies that have the best chance of success.