Boundary organizations as an approach to overcoming science-delivery barriers in landscape conservation: a Caribbean case study

Abstract

Throughout the Caribbean, conservation is ecologically, politically, and socially challenging due to a number of factors including globalization, climate change, loss of biodiversity, and the spread of invasive species. Relationships between organizations and institutions that govern the region’s natural and cultural resources are key to conservation success as partners work to implement plans to meet science, capacity, and information needs. However, the complex challenges involved in conservation work and tenuous relationships among organizations can result in a “knowing–doing gap”. Empirical evidence from 130 Caribbean conservation organizations indicates that barriers to bridging this gap are lack of information and data sharing, political constraints, competition, limited resources and technical capacity, and ineffective communications. We suggest that a knowing–doing gap exists in the region and that “boundary organizations” are a solution to overcoming the barriers some conservation entities face. We explore how boundary organizations can use the social sciences and practitioner expertise to successfully become knowledge brokers, and we offer a set of recommendations for implementing our ideas. We conclude by postulating that bridging the knowing–doing gap in resources management could lead to a sustainable future for the Caribbean region.

Citation

Jacobs, K.R.; Nicholson, L.; Murry, B.A.; Maldonado-Roman, M.; Gould, W.A. 2016. Boundary organizations as an approach to overcoming science-delivery barriers in landscape conservation: a Caribbean case study. Caribbean Naturalist Special issue no.1, 87-107.