Community participation in local decision-making in protected areas: the case of the New Forest (original) (raw)
Related papers
2010
This research sought to establish the extent of and reasons for community participation and non participation in local decision-making practices in the New Forest National Park, a protected area, in Southern England. Following a critical examination of the literature and previous research the concepts and theories of government, governance and of social capital were identified as being critical for an understanding and explanation of community engagement and disengagement. Primary data was collected through a series of qualitative interviews with representatives of institutions and of the local community in the area together with two concurrent quantitative surveys, one a random household survey and the other of individuals registered on an existing citizen’s panel. Unlike studies of participation in society at large, the findings show a high level of participation is occurring. The nature and characteristics of this participation are examined in terms of non participation and three...
Sumarski List, 2010
SUMMARY: In this study the focus is on the role of local communities in the management of protected areas with the expectation that without the cooperation and assistance of local communities achieving biodiversity conservation in places where the land and resources are fundamental to supporting people’s livelihoods will be less successful than if the local people actively support this goal. Management capacity in protected areas depends upon the system of governance, the level of resources and local community support. The key question of interest at the global level are whether the responsible authorities have the capacity to manage their protected areas effectively, and whether desired outcomes are achieved on the ground. Measuring these dimensions is contextual; what is effective in one country or locale may be inappropriate in another. Thus, assessing management capacity is context specific. The potential declaration of Tara National Park located in Serbia as a Biosphere Reserve...
Being Neighbor to a National Park: Are We Ready for Community Participation?
Procedia-Social and …, 2012
In Malaysia, many local communities reside within and around protected areas. Conflict, misunderstanding and mistrust often occur between the local communities and the protected area management. This study explores the perception and readiness of a chosen community on community participation in national park management. Questionnaires were distributed to 34 villagers in Kampung Bantal, Ulu Tembeling, Pahang, a remote village neighboring the Pahang National Park. The respondents indicate positive attitude towards community participation. This close knit community has the potential and strength to initiate community participation initiative. However, they require encouragement towards participation and in enhancing their community self-empowerment.
2018
The issue of participation is an important issue in protected area management. For instance, the IV IUCN World Congress on National Parks and Protected Areas convened in Caracas, Venezuela, called for increased community participation and human equity in decisionmaking for protected areas in order to improve their management (IUCN, 1993). The term participation can be interpreted in very different ways, and therefore it is essential to define it carefully.
Perceived barriers to and drivers of community participation in protected-area governance
Conservation Biology, 2017
Protected areas (PAs) are a frequently used conservation strategy, yet their socioeconomic impacts on local communities remain contentious. A shift toward increased participation by local communities in PA governance seeks to deliver benefits for human well-being and biodiversity. Although participation is considered critical to the success of PAs, few researchers have investigated individuals' decisions to participate and what this means for how local people experience the costs and benefits of conservation. We explored who participates in PA governance associations and why; the perceived benefits and costs to participation; and how costs and benefits are distributed within and between communities. Methods included 3 focus groups, 37 interviews, and 217 questionnaire surveys conducted in 3 communities and other stakeholders (e.g., employees of a nongovernmental organization and government officials) in PA governance in Madagascar. Our study design was grounded in the theory of planned behavior (TPB), the most commonly applied behavior model in social psychology. Participation in PA governance was limited by miscommunication and lack of knowledge about who could get involved and how. Respondents perceived limited benefits and high costs and uneven distribution of these within and between communities. Men, poorer households, and people in remote villages reported the highest costs. Our findings illustrate challenges related to comanagement of PAs: understanding the heterogeneous nature of communities; ensuring all households are represented in governance participation; understanding differences in the meaning of forest protection; and targeting interventions to reach households most in need to avoid elite capture.
Perception and Reliance of Local Communities in Conservation of Protected Areas
Rupantaran: A Multidisciplinary Journal
Conservation achievement is strongly inclined by perceptions of the impacts that are experienced by local communities. Perceptions provide an important means of assessing the performance of conservation plan so that better policies may be developed for effective biodiversity protection and the wellbeing of people living near protected areas. Local communities living adjacent to protected areas (PA) have played a vital role in biodiversity conservation. Understanding communities’ use and perceptions of a PA will increase its conservation effectiveness through reducing anthropogenic pressures and improving park-people relationship. The specific objective of the study was to explore the perceptions and reliance of local communities in conservation by different social groups and economic conditions on the basis of the current natural resource related needs in Bardia National Park (BNP) and its Buffer Zone (BZ). Data has been collected through a mixed-method approach, including qualitati...
Protected Area Governance and Its Influence on Local Perceptions, Attitudes and Collaboration
Land
Globally, protected areas are faced with a myriad of threats emanating principally from anthropogenic drivers, which underpins the importance of the human element in protected area management. Delving into the “exclusive” and “inclusive” approaches to nature conservation discourse, this study explored the extent to which local communities collaborate in the management of protected areas and how the governance regime of these areas influences local perceptions and attitudes. Data for the study were collected through stakeholder interviews, focus group discussions as well as a probe into participating groups’ collective perceptions and opinions on certain key issues. A total of 51 focus group discussions were held in 45 communities involving 630 participants. The analysis was done using qualitative methods and simple case counts to explain levels of acceptance or dislike of issues. The results showed that the objectives of state-managed protected areas, by their nature, tend to exclud...