A framework for understanding community resident perceptions of Masoala National Park, Madagascar

Abstract

Protected areas (PAs) represent a central strategy in biodiversity conservation worldwide. Yet many PAs are weakened by people-PA conflicts resulting from the separation of natural resource protection from human considerations. Research at Masoala National Park in Madagascar focused on the following questions: (1) What are the factors that influence residents' perceptions of the Park and restrictions on use of natural resources in the Park area? (2) How do residents of communities on the periphery of the Park perceive and interact with Park staff, and what factors influence interactions and perceptions? A multi-method qualitative research approach was taken, including individual and focus group interviews, participant observation, archival research, and an environmental education and communication workshop. From July to December 2001, 119 semi-structured individual and group interviews were conducted with a total of 181 Masoala National Park staff, employees of non-governmental conservation organizations and community residents, focusing on two villages on the periphery of Masoala National Park. Factors found to influence the perceptions of the Park held by residents living in the Park periphery included the history of Park management, the degree of awareness of Park existence, types of interactions with Park staff and actual or potential benefits received from the Park. Inconsistency in past and present Park management goals has led to community confusion regarding the Park programme. Residents were largely aware of the Park's existence but were unfamiliar with its goals. Pressures on Park natural resources came from a variety of sources and occurred across a range of spatial and temporal scales, some of which were outside the control of Park managers. A conceptual framework represented relations between Park staff and community residents. Understanding people-PA interactions and perceptions can help guide future PA management strategies to increase conservation effectiveness, through efforts such as environmental education and communication programmes.

Changing Perceptions of Forest Value and Attitudes toward Management of a Recently Established Nature Reserve: A Case Study in Southwest China

“…Protected areas (PAs) have been considered as a key to biodiversity conservation [1][2][3][4]. Previous studies have shown that protected areas can successfully protect biodiversity over broad geographic areas, through empirical coarse-scale assessments of biodiversity at regional or global scales [1,[5][6][7][8][9].…”

Local Community Attitudes toward Forests Outside Protected Areas in India. Impact of Legal Awareness, Trust, and Participation.

“…Attitudes toward the protected area staff and the perceptions of management practices also affect people's attitudes (Ormsby andKaplin 2005, Allendorf 2007). For example, conflicts with managers due to resource extraction, strict rules on forest resources use, and access Shrivastava 2009, Shibia 2010), rude behavior (Ormsby and Kaplin 2005), or harassment by park rangers (Infield and Namara 2001) generate http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol16/iss3/art10/ negative attitudes toward protected areas.…”

“…For example, conflicts with managers due to resource extraction, strict rules on forest resources use, and access Shrivastava 2009, Shibia 2010), rude behavior (Ormsby and Kaplin 2005), or harassment by park rangers (Infield and Namara 2001) generate http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol16/iss3/art10/ negative attitudes toward protected areas. Fear of resettlement and lack of job provision have the same impact (Allendorf 2007).…”

“…A low level of awareness regarding conservation issues and protected area management practices can also be associated with negative (Fiallo and Jacobson 1995) or ambivalent attitudes (Ormsby and Kaplin 2005) toward protected areas. However, higher level of awareness on regulations can be associated to negative conservation attitudes (Heinen and Shrivastava 2009).…”

Integrating livelihoods and conservation in protected areas: understanding the role and stakeholder views on prospects for non-timber forest products, a Bangladesh case study

“…Globally protected areas (PAs) have long represented a key conservation strategy in the face of rapid forest and biodiversity loss (Abakerli 2001;Nagothu 2003;Ormsby and Kaplin 2005;Clerici et al 2007;DeFries et al 2007) and are considered the most effective measure for conserving wild biodiversity in situ (Pimbert and Pretty 1997;Mulongoy and Chape 2004). Generally, PAs are 'areas especially dedicated to the protection and maintenance of biological diversity and associated cultural resources, which are managed through legal or other effective means' (IUCN 1994).…”