Assimilating development objectives in conservation planning (2016-2020)
Abstract
The human modification of natural landscapes is causing species loss to accelerate. Yet land use and infrastructure developments are often necessary to support economic growth. How can the apparently divergent objectives of biodiversity conservation and economic development be balanced? This project will extend the theory and practice of decision science to grapple with the complexity of this question. We will develop new methods to map past and project future development scenarios for the lower Mekong region in Southeast Asia, a globally significant region undergoing rapid economic development. Novel problem formulations will be used to balance biodiversity conservation with development objectives.
