Nancy J. Stevens

Protected areas (PAs) guard critical biodiversity and provide ecosystem services, serving as a pillar of the Kunming‐Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework that aims to protect 30% of the planet by 2030. But most PAs are understaffed. This study documents external workforce contributions to PA staffing in Madagascar, a biodiversity‐rich country that tripled its PA network in 2015. Taking a novel multi‐level approach, we use online surveys of 44 PAs and 13 institutions (managing 81% of PA surface area in Madagascar). Results reveal severe understaffing, reaching only a third of the global recommendation at just one staff member per 37.3 km 2 . Longer‐established PAs enjoy higher staffing ratios. Local community members comprise 94% of the PA external workforce, contributing up to 52% of labor in category V and VI PAs. Evolving human resource policies to deliberately better engage local communities will build PA resilience, addressing staffing gaps in a cost‐effective and sustainable manner to achieve the 30 by 30 target.