Can PA Governance Improve PA Outcomes: A Review of the Debates

Abstract

Governance in the management of biodiversity conservation serves to provide people, particularly vulnerable human societies with opportunities for livelihood, recreation and renewal, water, food, clear air, the genetic potential of wild species, cultural values and visitor opportunities to nature sites. The paper explores protected area governance processes and structures, particularly; the link between improved governance and improved PA outputs. The main components of protected area (PA) governance (including legitimacy and voice, direction, performance, fairness and accountability) in respect to linking PA governance and improved PA outcomes were examined. The paper explores the content analysis methodology to examine the link between PA governance and PA outcomes from the perspective of management effectiveness. Content analysis is a useful tool for exploring issues such as PA governance and outcomes from the perspective of the qualitative content analysis to interpret the symbolic construction of meanings. The content analysis applied both quantitatively and qualitatively approaches to systematically analyze written, verbal or visual documentation to provide a better understanding of issues relating to PA governance and how it relates to PA outcomes. Content analysis was used to develop frames from the extant literature. The results were used to make inferences about the key issues and conclusions raised in the literature under broad frameworks developed from the categorization of the content in the extant literature. The paper identified that the application of effective PA governance is critical to achieving conservation outcomes. Good PA governance that complements PA outcomes works best when factors including the coherence of rules and decision-making processes, proper networks are built, and decentralization works and is fully backed by relevant institutional reforms. Good PA governance that complements PA outcomes works best when factors including the coherence of rules and decision-making processes, proper networks are built, and decentralization works and is fully backed by relevant institutional reforms.

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“…In many studies, positive outcomes have relied on the enabling conditions present in field (Arthur, 2021;Fox et al, 2013;Lockwood, 2010). Without sufficient consideration and support from local authorities, for example, it is unlikely that SMART implementation will be effective in producing positive outcomes.…”

Assessing the Effectiveness and Justice of Protected Areas Governance: Issues and Situated Pathways to Environmental Policies in Río Negro National Park, Paraguay

“…Armitage et al (2012) state that a detailed understanding of how governance influences a protected area can enhance intervention strategies to achieve desired outcomes. For these reasons, concerns regarding PA governance are receiving increasing attention from researchers and international organizations (Steiner et al 2003;Graham et al 2003;Armitage et al 2012;Borrini-Feyerabend et al 2013;Borrini-Feyerabend and Hill 2015;Arthur 2021), as well as the extent to which PA management protects the values and objectives for which each PA was established (Borrini-Feyerabend et al 2013;Stanciu and Ionit , ă 2014;de Castro-Pardo and Moliner 2016).…”