From Potential to Action: OECMs and Inclusive Conservation in Latin America

The report examines the implementation of OECMs across six Latin American countries, arguing that while the framework can provide visibility to diverse conservation efforts, its success depends on addressing systemic inequalities, securing tenure rights, and shifting from top-down technocratic monitoring to locally led, rights-based support systems.

• Implementation of the OECM framework varies significantly across the six studied countries. Colombia is the regional leader, having adopted recognition guidelines in 2021 and reporting 55 OECMs by February 2024, though some were later withdrawn due to procedural gaps. Peru and Ecuador have recognized five areas each, while Brazil and Mexico have held discussions but not yet formalized a framework, and Bolivia is at an incipient stage.
• There is immense potential for OECM recognition through Complementary Conservation Areas (CCAs), which are existing national designations outside formal Protected Area systems. The report identified 54 distinct types of CCAs across the region, including artisanal fishing agreements, sacred sites, and privately conserved areas, creating mosaic landscapes that integrate conservation and sustainable use.
• Indigenous and Traditional Territories (ITTs) represent a critical frontier for inclusive conservation, with legally recognized ITTs covering approximately 400 million hectares, or about 28% of the total land area of the six countries. While Brazil, Colombia, and Peru explicitly recognize ITTs as a pathway for Target 3, other countries may account for them via OECMs or PAs.
• A fundamental contradiction exists in the legal frameworks of all six countries: while they have strong environmental and human rights laws, the State maintains sovereign ownership over subsoil and natural resources. This allows governments to authorize extractive concessions and infrastructure projects that override the will of rights-holders and environmental protections.
• Tenure insecurity is a primary limiting factor for conservation. Despite strong legal provisions on paper, there are persistent gaps in effective protection, including large titling backlogs and overlapping claims. This insecurity makes territories vulnerable to land grabbing and prevents communities from accessing public programs and financial incentives.
• Environmental governance is characterized by a mismatch between decentralized responsibilities and actual capacity. While decentralization has opened space for local participation, subnational governments and agencies are chronically understaffed and underfunded, which limits the enforcement of rights and environmental regulations.
• There is a significant gap in technical and monitoring capacity for locally led conservation. Current monitoring systems are often top-down and technocratic, privileging scientific data over Indigenous and local knowledge. This creates a 'burden of proof' for OECM candidates, as they must demonstrate biodiversity outcomes without sufficient institutional support.
• Economic systems in the region continue to favor destructive extractive industries over sustainable alternatives. While Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) are widely used, they are often described as unreliable, temporary, and misaligned with local priorities. There is a growing demand for 'direct access' to finance to reduce dependence on intermediaries.
• Private conservation initiatives offer a clear but underestimated opportunity for ecological connectivity. Many private landowners demonstrate long-term voluntary commitments to conservation, challenging stereotypes of profit-driven actors, and often face fewer tenure and funding complexities than communal initiatives.
• The report recommends that OECM recognition be linked to priority titling and territorial defense to ensure it does not merely provide symbolic recognition while leaving underlying asymmetries unresolved. It suggests that for some IP&LCs, a dedicated ITT recognition pathway may be more appropriate than the OECM framework.

APA

Lobo, R., Pacheco, P., Matallana-Tobón, C., Isola, S., Bennett, N., Maretti, C. C., Alfred, V., Anaya, J. S., Castro, L. G., Crespo, J. M., Falconi, E., Gajardo, O. B., Herz, K., Hesselbach, H., De la Maza, R., Pacheco, R., Rojas, R., & Toro, M. (2025). From Potential to Action: OECMs and Inclusive Conservation in Latin America. WWF International. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/1828/OECM_Synthesis_Report.pdf

Chicago

Lobo, Rafaella, Pablo Pacheco, Clara Matallana-Tobón, Sandra Isola, Nathan Bennett, Cláudio C. Maretti, Victor Alfred, et al. From Potential to Action: OECMs and Inclusive Conservation in Latin America. WWF International, 2025. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/1828/OECM_Synthesis_Report.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Lobo |first1=Rafaella |last2=Pacheco |first2=Pablo |last3=Matallana-Tobón |first3=Clara |last4=Isola |first4=Sandra |last5=Bennett |first5=Nathan |last6=Maretti |first6=Cláudio C. |last7=Alfred |first7=Victor |last8=Anaya |first8=Juan Sebastián |last9=Castro |first9=Luis Guillermo |display-authors=etal |title=From Potential to Action: OECMs and Inclusive Conservation in Latin America |publisher=WWF International |date=2025 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/1828/OECM_Synthesis_Report.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{lobo2025from, author = {Lobo, Rafaella and Pacheco, Pablo and Matallana-Tobón, Clara and Isola, Sandra and Bennett, Nathan and Maretti, Cláudio C. and Alfred, Victor and Anaya, Juan Sebastián and Castro, Luis Guillermo and Crespo, Juan Manuel and Falconi, Esteban and Gajardo, Osvaldo Barassi and Herz, Katia and Hesselbach, Hilda and De la Maza, Roberto and Pacheco, Rodrigo and Rojas, Ricardo and Toro, Marco}, title = {{From Potential to Action: OECMs and Inclusive Conservation in Latin America}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2025}, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/1828/OECM_Synthesis_Report.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }