27 Conclusions: Sustaining Sacred Natural Sites to Conserve Nature and Culture Robert Wild, Bas Verschuuren and Jeffrey McNeely This concluding chapter reviews 10 key points that have emerged out of the chapters presented. The overarching conclusion is that sacred natural sites are an important but largely unrecognized, and highly threatened, primary network of conservation sites with the power to make a significant contribution toward protecting and restoring biological and cultural diversity. The 10 conclusions discussed below establish a framework and suggest steps toward supporting sacred natural sites as an important means of conserving nature and culture. These provide the conceptual foundation for the recommendations with which the book concludes. A preliminary action plan generated to inform further steps is included in Annex 2. 10 conclusions on sacred natural sites 1 Sacred natural sites have long served as a primary conservation network for conserving nature and culture. 2 The rapid degradation and loss of sacred natural sites severely threatens critical biodiversity, ecosystem services, cultural resources and even ways of life. 3 Recognizing sacred natural sites supports community autonomy, promotes effective management and gives voice, rights and action to local people. 4 Faith, spirituality and science provide different but complementary ways of knowing and understanding human-nature relationships. 5 Mainstream, folk and indigenous religions and spiritualities have complex, sometimes conflicting relationships; enhanced mutual respect and in some cases rapprochement is required for collective care of sacred natural sites. 6 Successful co-existence of sacred natural sites and modern economic imperatives requires a better understanding of their inter- relationships, and of the broad values and benefits of sacred natural sites for human well- being and development. 7 Sacred natural sites as nodes of resilience, restoration and adaptation to climate change offer opportunities for recovering ecologically sound, local ways of life. 8 Sacred natural sites need to be consciously included as part of a coherent and coordinated response to global change. 9 Local commitment, wide public awareness, supportive national policies and laws, state protection and broad international support are essential for the survival of sacred natural sites. 10 A broad strategy for conserving sacred natural sites, defining the priority actions required and building a global coalition to carry out these actions is urgently needed.