Stories

Rangers: Guardians of planetary health

Date: July 31, 2024
Author: Callie Cho

Ranger, guard, officer, scout, warden... Across the globe, these planetary health workers are known by various titles, and together they form the backbone of conservation efforts. Coming from all walks of life—local and Indigenous communities, government employees, and volunteers—rangers are united in their mission to ensure both current and future generations can rely on nature and experience its wonders.

The roles of rangers What they do

Steward biodiversity

Rangers are vital in the fight against extinction as they ensure that important wildlife and ecosystems are properly safeguarded. Today, more than 45,300 species are threatened with extinction according to the IUCN, and there has been a 69% decline in global species populations between 1970 and 2022. Stated in Target 3 of the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Global Biodiversity Framework, there now exists a global commitment to conserve 30% of the Earth's habitats by 2030 through protected area establishment. This target, also known as 30x30, cannot be achieved without an adequate area-based workforce.

Protect umbrella species

Along with maintaining overall biodiversity and ecosystem health, rangers are often responsible for protecting umbrella species—species whose conservation indirectly protects many other ones within their ecosystem—and their habitats. One example is the tiger (Panthera tigris), who faces threats from poachers, habitat fragmentation and degradation, and human-wildlife conflict. The majority of the world’s wild tiger population exists inside protected areas that fall within Tiger Conservation Landscapes¹, so ensuring the proper management of these tiger ranges is imperative for the protection and continued recovery of these iconic cats.

Support local communities

Rangers are also vital to helping people, particularly in places where local communities face acute vulnerabilities and threats. Indeed, a core role for rangers is building trust, partnership, and protecting the rights and wellbeing of those living in and around conservation areas.

In many places, rangers work to minimize threats posed by wildlife to people’s lives and livelihoods. And when human-wildlife conflict or other emergencies do occur, it is often rangers who serve as first responders. A recent survey of rangers in Asia revealed that nearly 60% took on expanded duties in disaster response, including conducting evacuations, participating in rescue and recovery missions, and distributing vital resources such as food and water to affected communities.² As extreme and erratic weather becomes more prevalent due to climate change, rangers will be saddled with even more emergency responsibilities.

The many more roles of rangers

Beyond the duties mentioned, rangers fulfill numerous roles: educators, peacekeepers, researchers, tourism managers, and biodiversity protectors, among countless others. Their diverse and extensive responsibilities too many to list make the profession both challenging and worthy of our respect and appreciation.

Challenging conditions The daily dangers rangers confront

Honoring fallen heroes

In addition to being under resourced, many rangers regularly face life-threatening danger. From animal attacks to homicide to vehicle accidents, rangers exemplify extreme courage and selflessness every day in their perilous role. This year, 140 rangers from 37 different countries died while performing their duties. We pay tribute to these fallen heroes who gave their lives safeguarding both humanity and the natural world through the International Ranger Federation Roll of Honor.

Despite their invaluable role in safeguarding nature and humans, most rangers operate with insufficient recognition, resources, and personnel. Rangers face challenging conditions while managing vast areas with inadequate support. Often, rangers do not have access to basic equipment, like boots, raincoats, or communication devices. Many times, rangers are also undertrained: according to the 2019 ranger survey Life on the Frontlines, only 24.4% of rangers surveyed were trained in first aid, and only 25.4% were trained in wildlife conflict. Research led by WWF and the International Ranger Federation (IRF) in Asia revealed that over 60% lacked training in first aid, emergency evacuation, flood and disaster response³.

Furthermore, many conservation sites, especially those in biodiversity hotspots, suffer from chronic understaffing and underfunding, severely hampering their ability to operate effectively⁴. For example, seven out of ten countries with breeding tiger populations have an insufficient number of rangers in their government protected areas. In fact, a recent study provides estimates that a minimum of 12,500 more rangers across ~124,000 square miles of protected tiger areas (an area roughly the size of Italy) are necessary to adequately protect these cats⁵.

Globally, a single ranger typically oversees an area equivalent to 13,000 football fields, highlighting the immense strain on conservation efforts and biodiversity protection.

Gearing up for the wild Increasing ranger support and investment

"To effectively conserve nature, we must invest in the people who make it possible,” said Nik Sekhran, Chief Conservation Officer for WWF-US. “In context of 30X30, a lot of conversation focuses on dollars and acres—but conservation on this scale simply won't work without more investment and recognition of rangers as a professional workforce."

The cornerstone of successful protected and conserved area management lies in having sufficient numbers of skilled, well-equipped, and competent rangers. As a founding member of the Universal Ranger Support Alliance (URSA), a coalition of ten conservation organizations, WWF is at the forefront of advancing ranger initiatives, advocating for a more professional and accountable ranger workforce.

First, we must give rangers the global recognition and respect they deserve as planetary health workers. Given their essential roles in implementing effective conservation, we must include rangers in policy discussions. Second, we must properly equip and train rangers, ensuring fair working conditions and welfare. Lastly, professionalizing the ranger workforce through a standard code of conduct and a framework of working practices, we can increase conservation capacity. Achieving these goals requires substantial investment and dedication from various stakeholders, including national governments, management bodies, NGOs, and donors.

Supporting rangers means safeguarding precious ecosystems, protecting diverse species, and ensuring a healthier world for today and tomorrow. These dedicated guardians deserve our backing, as their unwavering commitment is essential for the preservation of wild places and the long-term health of Earth—our common home.