SSRN (2026)
Preprint
Abstract
Achieving a Nature- and People-positive future requires transformative social change, yet many conservation programs fail due to insufficient consideration of socio-psychological and structural factors influencing human behaviour. This paper presents an integrated end-to-end toolkit for co-designing, testing and adapting locally-appropriate incentive-based interventions that deliver positive outcomes for biodiversity and people, illustrated with a marine species conservation case study. By combining established conservation planning frameworks with methods from behavioural and social science, I provide: (1) theory and methods for diagnosing barriers and enablers to conservation-relevant behaviour; (2) a customisable typology of incentive-based interventions, from command-and-control measures to positive rewards and norms-based approaches; (3) predictive participatory methods for ex-ante evaluation of intervention designs; (4) guidance on counterfactual-based impact evaluation, adaptive management and scaling; and (5) customisable research instruments and training resources to aid application. The toolkit is illustrated through a case study on an incentive-based program for conservation of Critically Endangered wedgefish (Rhynchobatus spp.) in small-scale fisheries in Indonesia. Theory of Planned Behaviour-based diagnostics revealed socio-economic barriers to pro-conservation behaviour, and scenario interviews identified performance-based compensation as a promising intervention. An experimental evaluation of the intervention then revealed both conservation impacts and hidden actions, which informed adaptive responses. By offering practical, customisable approaches and resources for iterative, people-centred and evidence-based intervention design, I aim to guide researchers and practitioners in developing effective, equitable and scalable behaviourally-mediated interventions that deliver measurable positive impact for biodiversity and people.
