Waging a war to save biodiversity: the rise of militarized conservation

This paper examines the rise in militarized approaches towards conservation, as part of a new 'war for biodiversity'. This is a key defining moment in the international politics of conservation and needs further interrogation. The claims that rhinos and elephants are under threat from highly organised criminal gangs of poachers shapes and determines conservation practice on the ground. This paper offers a critique of that argument, essentially by asking how we define poachers, and if militarized approaches mean conservationists are more willing to engage in coercive, repressive policies that are ultimately counterproductive. Further, this paper examines how the new war for biodiversity is justified and promoted via reference to wider debates about intervention in a post-Cold War era; notably that the international community has a responsibility towards wildlife, especially endangered species, and that may require military forms of intervention to save them.