Area-based conservation has long been a cornerstone of efforts to conserve species and habitats, safeguard and enhance nature’s contributions to people, 1and improve the resilience of land and seascapes to climate change (Zeng et al. 2022; Brodie et al. 2023; Duncanson et al. 2023; Nowakowski et al. 2023; Cannizzo et al. 2024). Protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs), collectively referred to as "protected and conserved areas", are central to global conservation efforts, with their importance highlighted in multiple multilateral environmental agreements, such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 14 and 15 and Target 3 of the Kunming-Montréal Global Biodiversity Framework (Global Biodiversity Framework), and private sector nature-related impact frameworks and standards.
