Abstract
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>Bridging theory and practice, this book draws insights from multiple fields to equip readers to navigate conflicts that arise in biodiversity conservation. Beginning with a look at the nature of conflict in conservation, it explores the importance of understanding the social, cultural, and historical factors that drive these conflicts. Central to the book’s approach is the concept that resolving conflict is both an ‘art’ requiring diplomacy and adaptation, but that a ‘science’ also exists that helps bring a structured approach to analysing and managing conflict. It provides a set of first principles that apply to all conflicts, followed by a framework for understanding different levels of conflict and the corresponding strategies for dealing with these. Through chapters dedicated to negotiation, mediation, and reconciliation, the book explores how to apply appropriate interventions at each level, stressing the importance of engagement, third-party support, and the role of dialogue. Addressing more challenging aspects, the book also examines the dynamics of polarization and the rejection of evidence in conflicts over biodiversity, particularly in cases where identity and deeply held beliefs shape the situation. It emphasizes the need for conservation professionals to integrate key negotiation, engagement, and dispute resolution skills into regular practice, thereby contributing to preventing conflict. The book advocates for recognition of social, cultural, emotional, and political dimensions of difficult situations in conservation and the need for good processes for collaborative decision-making in the complex contexts of biodiversity conservation.</jats:p>