ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the practice and politics of wilderness conservation. It shows how wild places are currently managed so as to achieve the dual purpose of environmental and social sustainability. The chapter draws lessons from cases from many different countries around the world and from many different types of wild places, with some of them officially recognized as wilderness areas, and some ad hoc wilderness. It examines the current geographical political ecology research on conservation management by focusing first on the main problematic issues, and subsequently by highlighting possible ways forward or solutions. The chapter focuses on the managing wilderness and wildlife that becomes less of a human initiative since extirpated species drive active restoration naturally. It limits the attention to official designations of an area as wilderness through laws and policies that protect it in accordance with Category 1b of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
