Conservation covenants: what is the role of reciprocity?

Abstract Conservation covenants are a key legal mechanism for permanently protecting biodiversity on private land in Australia and elsewhere. Yet their contribution to national and global targets for expanding conservation and restoration areas remains limited. This constraint arises not only from the traditional view of covenants as instruments of passive conservation but also from the limited incentives and benefits available to participating landholders. A central governance challenge lies in reconceptualizing reciprocity within covenanting relationships. Reciprocal arrangements should recognize the diversity of landholders’ values and motivations that shape participation decisions, while also reflecting shared responsibility for environmental stewardship. Current Australian legal frameworks and practices insufficiently articulate or operationalize reciprocity in ways that accommodate these considerations. We propose a more principled and systematic approach to reciprocity to strengthen the effectiveness, equity, and long-term impact of conservation covenants in advancing biodiversity protection and ecological restoration on private land.