A legal assessment of private land conservation in South America: committed landowners yet unsupportive governments.

Privately protected areas (PPAs) are a potential innovative conservation tool for the protection of nature. Legal recognition is necessary for their success, especially in countries where there are institutional challenges to nature conservation, such as those in South America. Although PPAs have increased in the region since the early 2000s, there is a critical information gap pertaining to their legal frameworks. This contribution analyzes the level of landowners' commitment and governmental support across countries in South America that officially recognize PPAs. To achieve this, we conducted a legal framework analysis and literature review (both in English and Spanish) that was validated by sixteen conservation experts from across the continent. We then further examined Peruvian PPAs - which is one of only two South American countries with local communities creating and managing PPAs - based on their official creation document and interviews with thirteen local conservation professionals. Our results raised concerns about landowners' obligations regarding PPAs (e.g., inadequate minimum duration of PPAs and vague guidelines for conducting economic activities within them). Further, we identified a lack of tangible governmental support (e.g., financial mechanisms or technical support) for PPAs. Current support is limited to the exemption of rural property taxes, which are relatively low compared to those of other regions of the world. Moreover, the Peruvian case-study shows that PPAs run by individuals and communities need differentiated legal frameworks as they are created with different objectives, have different sizes and duration of commitments. Thus, the prompt improvement of legal frameworks across South America is necessary for PPAs to achieve their aim of being places for enduring nature conservation in the region. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.