- Six years after facing widespread allegations of human rights abuses linked to conservation enforcement, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) says it has overhauled how it operates in some of the world’s most sensitive ecosystems.
- The global conservation NGO commissioned an independent panel in 2020 to investigate the allegations, which Mongabay and other media outlets reported extensively. The resulting 160-page report outlined more than 170 recommendations, calling for reforms in WWF’s policies, project oversight, risk management practices, etc.
- Today, WWF claims it has implemented close to 98% of those recommendations. In an interview with Mongabay on the sidelines of the Villars Institute Symposium in Switzerland, director-general Kirsten Schuijt detailed some of the organization’s reforms: the rollout of grievance mechanisms, the creation of an ombuds office and the appointment of WWF’s first Indigenous board member. While some have dismissed the appointment as tokenism or mere box-ticking, Schuijt contends that true success lies in ensuring WWF’s decision-making reflects a diversity of voices.
- WWF is looking to reposition itself with a renewed focus on people-centered conservation. Its new global strategy, Roadmap 2030, places locally led conservation at the heart of its work — marking a decisive shift from fortress-style models to approaches that empower Indigenous peoples and local communities in shaping and delivering conservation on their terms.
VILLARS, Switzerland — Six years after being shaken by allegations of human rights abuses linked to conservation enforcement, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) says it has undertaken considerable reforms — reforms that, according to its leadership, are not just structural but signal a broader rethink of global conservation itself.
In an interview with Mongabay, Kirsten Schuijt, director-general of WWF International, described what she called a “deep transformation” within the organization. “So, what started off as a response to a criticism in the external world has now really been internalized at the highest strategic levels of WWF,” she said, “not only because it was the right thing to do, but because conservation doesn’t work without people.”
Between 2019 and 2020, WWF faced scathing scrutiny after investigations from BuzzFeed revealed disturbing accounts of violence by park rangers allegedly supported by WWF, including torture, beatings and extrajudicial killings in Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, India and Nepal. Mongabay also reported considerably about this issue. Critics said the incidents reflected deeper problems with the “fortress conservation” model — one that often excludes the very communities it claims to protect.
WWF responded by commissioning an independent panel, which produced a 160-page report recommending more than 170 reforms spanning governance, accountability and social safeguards. According to Schuijt, WWF has now implemented 98% of those recommendations. Among them: the introduction of grievance mechanisms, the creation of an ombuds office (expected to launch soon) and the appointment of the organization’s first Indigenous board member, Ramy Bulan of Malaysia. A new indigenous peoples consultative group also advises the board and executive team.
Still, critics question whether these steps go far enough and say it has taken too long to move power to communities. Schuijt argues that Bulan is a “really strong Indigenous voice, and she’s a strong lady.” Besides, she said, it’s about ensuring that diverse voices, from Indigenous leaders to women, fishers, scientists, corporate and local communities are part of shaping conservation work.
Asked why WWF took so long to shift power and control, Schuijt pointed to the complexity of working in fragile ecosystems where government-employed rangers, poaching networks and community conflicts create volatile conditions. However, she acknowledged that WWF is listening, learning and being humble.”
WWF’s new strategic blueprint, Roadmap 2030, puts locally led conservation at the center of its agenda. The approach shifts away from top-down enforcement and aims to support community stewardship of natural resources. “Communities are the best conservation leaders,” Schuijt said.
This marks a shift from traditional top-down conservation models, often criticized as “fortress conservation,” which critics say exclude or marginalize the very people who live in and depend on biodiverse landscapes. Schuijt acknowledged those criticisms, calling WWF’s evolution “a journey that is ongoing.”
Still, she cautioned that no conservation effort, no matter how inclusive, can succeed in isolation from broader systems change. “Biodiversity loss is being driven by the way we produce and consume food, how we power our economies and how finance flows,” she said. “If we don’t change those systems, conservation alone won’t bend the curve.”
Asked what success would look like under her leadership, Schuijt pointed to impact over promises. “I want to see real conservation results on the ground — whether that’s in Cameroon, Colombia or Indonesia — and I want to see those results driven by the people who live there.”
Below is the full Q&A with Kirsten Schuijt, in which she discusses WWF’s internal reforms, the Roadmap 2030 strategy, and the organization’s vision for community-led conservation. Mongabay interviewed her on June 19, 2025, during the recently concluded Villars Symposium in Switzerland, where she participated in a panel discussion. This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
Mongabay: Kirsten, I’d like to begin with an issue that may no longer be making headlines but remains significant. Back in 2019, WWF faced serious allegations of human rights abuses in some of the protected areas where it supports conservation efforts. How has the organization responded and moved forward since then?
Kirsten Schuijt: Thank you for the opportunity. I’ve been closely involved with this issue— even before becoming director-general. When the allegations surfaced, WWF commissioned an independent panel to evaluate the situation. That process resulted in over 170 recommendations on how we could strengthen our approach to inclusive conservation, particularly in complex landscapes like the Congo Basin, India and Nepal. Over the past three years, we’ve worked systematically across the organization to implement these recommendations. This has included improving how we assess and manage environmental and social risks in the areas where we work, many of which are marked by conflict, human-wildlife tensions and overlapping governance challenges. We’ve also taken concrete steps to improve accountability and representation. For example, we appointed our first Indigenous board member, Rami Bulan from Sarawak in Malaysian Borneo, and created an Indigenous Peoples Consultative Group. This advisory group, made up of 10 leaders from regions including the Arctic, Congo Basin and Indonesia, advises the executive team and our board on human rights and inclusive conservation. Five years ago, WWF had no formal grievance mechanisms in place. Today, those systems exist. We now receive and follow up on complaints, and we’re preparing to launch an independent ombuds office to provide communities with a neutral avenue to raise concerns. All of this has been part of a broader action plan we closed about a year ago. We then commissioned an internal review to assess how well we implemented the recommendations. That review found that WWF had completed about 98% of the panel’s recommendations across all our offices. The remaining 2%, linked to issues in places like DRC and Cameroon, are largely dependent on government action.
Mongabay: This sounds like meaningful progress, especially in terms of governance and inclusion. But with only one Indigenous representative on WWF’s international board, do you feel that’s truly representative? How do you ensure this isn’t just symbolic — and that the perspectives of Indigenous peoples across your priority regions are genuinely reflected in decision-making?
Kirsten Schuijt: At WWF, we need to look across all our governance structures, not just the international board. Appointing a strong Indigenous voice to the board is an important step, and she brings valuable perspective. But Indigenous representation is just one piece of the puzzle. We also need to ensure the inclusion of other key voices: women, local communities, fishers, scientists and even the private sector — because all of them are part of the conservation landscape. That said, true inclusion goes beyond board appointments. For conservation to be genuinely locally led, the people who live and work in the places we aim to protect must be central to designing, implementing and evaluating our programs. We’re doing that well in some areas — but in others, we still have a long way to go.
Mongabay: The incidents in 2020–21 also reignited criticism of the so-called “fortress conservation” model, which many argue excludes local communities. What is WWF’s current stance on fortress conservation, and what model do you believe is best suited to guide conservation efforts moving forward?
Kirsten Schuijt: We’ve just launched what we’re calling our Roadmap 2030, a new global strategy for WWF with six key objectives. At the heart of it is locally led conservation.
What initially began as a response to external criticism has now been fully embraced at the highest strategic levels of WWF. And not just because, as I said during the panel, it’s the right thing to do — but because we truly believe it makes conservation sense. We can only achieve lasting conservation outcomes if they are driven, owned and led by the people who live in these places. Of course, what locally led and inclusive conservation looks like will vary depending on the context. It will be different in Colombia than in Malaysia, Indonesia or the Congo Basin. That’s why it starts with listening — going into communities, understanding what’s already happening, what local stakeholders are doing and hoping to do — and then figuring out how WWF can support their strategies and actions. We’re working hard to adapt, to listen better and to stand behind the people and communities who are conserving the places they call home.
Mongabay: Why did it take WWF so long to shift power toward local communities? Why was there hesitation to democratize conservation in a way that truly empowers communities to take ownership and lead efforts on the ground?
Kirsten Schuijt: I wouldn’t say this isn’t a global WWF issue. The BuzzFeed allegations focused on specific countries like those in the Congo Basin, India and Nepal — places that are often marked by conflict, including between communities, and with high levels of poaching. These are incredibly complex environments. That said, there are also many places where WWF has worked closely with communities for years. For example, in Madagascar, it’s impossible to do conservation without working hand in hand with coastal communities and fishers. In Colombia, much of our work is led by Indigenous and local communities.
In the more challenging areas, change has taken longer. But part of that is because WWF is a 63-year-old organization, and the world has changed. We’re evolving too. It’s about listening, learning, staying humble — and leading with what really matters on the ground. WWF is a big, diverse organization. But what drives me are the places — Cameroon, Brazil, the Coral Triangle in Asia. And in those places, the communities are the best conservation leaders. That’s where our journey is heading, and while we won’t get everything right everywhere, we’re committed to that path.
Mongabay: As we look to the future, beyond the traditional metric of protected hectares, what does success look like to you under your leadership? How will you define WWF’s impact moving forward?
Kirsten Schuijt: Protected areas are just one tool. The real measure of success is whether we can bend the curve of global biodiversity loss because right now, we’re still losing nature in nearly every place we care about. That’s the true test of whether our efforts are working. Protected areas matter, but they’re not enough. We also need to invest in other approaches like locally led conservation, community forestry and certification. There’s a whole toolbox we must use, across the conservation sector and as individuals. We all have a role to play — whether it’s in what we eat, how we travel or how we consume. All of it contributes to reversing the decline. Going forward, under our Roadmap 2030, locally led conservation will be at the heart of our work, whether that means partnering with fishers and farmers in Europe or working with Indigenous communities in the Congo Basin.
Mongabay: Despite decades of effort, the curve of biodiversity loss still isn’t bending in the right direction. Reports — including WWF’s own Living Planet Report — continue to show alarming declines across all regions. Why is that? After 60 years of work, is the problem internal — something to do with governance or structure — or is it driven by larger global forces beyond WWF’s control? How do you make sense of this, given the scale of your efforts?
Kirsten Schuijt: Biodiversity isn’t just WWF’s responsibility; it belongs to the whole world. We’re just one player, a relatively small one, in a much larger system. The continued decline of biodiversity is a planetary issue. It reflects deep, systemic problems. Over the past 63 years, WWF has worked hard in many areas, but the reality is we’ve lost over 70% of global wildlife populations since 1970. That’s massive. At the root of this decline are three major systems: food, energy and finance. Of these, food is the biggest driver. It’s the way we produce, consume, and waste food that’s accelerating biodiversity loss. We all play a part in this — every time we eat. And no matter how much we invest in protected areas, certifications or locally led conservation, we won’t succeed in bending the curve unless we change the food system. That’s why, under our Roadmap 2030, we’ve made transforming food, energy and finance systems a top priority. That work includes engaging with governments, corporations and communities to push for meaningful change.
Mongabay: How has it felt to lead this work at a time of growing global uncertainty — especially with some governments stepping back from environmental commitments? Do you see this moment as a challenge or an opportunity to rethink how conservation is done?
Kirsten Schuijt: I still believe this is a crucial time to be director-general — and for all of us to lead the effort to bend the curve of biodiversity loss. Despite all the negative headlines and the lack of focus on reversing climate change, largely because of ongoing conflicts and polarization, there’s actually a lot of positive momentum that doesn’t get enough attention. The energy transition is happening. Is it fast enough? No. Is it happening at scale? Not yet. But it is underway. As we heard at the panel, even the financial sector is undergoing major shifts — especially over the past five or six years. In the food sector, too, there are encouraging signs. Many farmers, especially younger ones, are looking to adopt more sustainable practices. More young people are choosing to eat less meat, which is important given meat production’s major impact on biodiversity. There’s growing awareness around our carbon footprint and what it means. So, yes, change is happening — but not fast enough and not at the scale we need. That’s why I feel privileged to be part of an organization that’s doing everything it can to accelerate and scale those shifts.
Mongabay: Final question: When you look back, years from now, at your time as director-general of WWF, what kind of legacy would you like to leave behind? What impact do you hope to be remembered for?
Kirsten Schuijt: The legacy I hope to leave behind is one of real, measurable impact on the ground. I want us to move beyond promises — beyond the science we already know and the billions pledged — and make sure those resources actually reach the places that need them most. That means countries like Cameroon, the DRC, Brazil, Colombia and Indonesia — where we’re working hard to protect species, ecosystems and biodiversity. And most importantly, doing it with people at the center of everything we do.
Banner image: Kirsten Schuijt, Director General of WWF International, during a field visit to local communities in Madagascar. Photo courtesy of WWF Madagascar.
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