Geopark as a Participatory Collaborative Management Concept to Manage the Raja Ampat Archipelago

Abstract

Numerous and multi-level organizations from sub-national to international working in Raja Ampat Regency as the globally important marine areas and world’s class tourism, yet the gap of knowledge and capacities with communities keeps distancing. Raja Ampat Geopark exists as a management agency that coordinates various programs implemented by multi-institutions with various interests within the Regency. Approaching the effective management, Raja Ampat Geopark performs through three stages: 1) mapping relevant stakeholders; 2) designing a participatory collaboration strategy; and 3) encouraging the collaborative works following the strategy where the roles of each stakeholder are clear. Master plan of Raja Ampat Geopark were developed and agreed by 41 related partners of were clustered into 8 interest groups, who are implementing 31 programs consists of 84 activities. This collaborative participatory marine management resulting an increase of documentation and published biodiversity data, of which empowered by the improved capacities of local government and communities in Raja Ampat.

Stakeholders collaboration management of Rinjani Lombok UNESCO Global Geopark: social capital perspectives

“…Collaboration itself refers to a mechanism that involves all relevant stakeholders in a structure of dialogue and information networks to negotiate the future development of an area through a shared agreement on common goals (Saidin et al, 2015). The collaborative, participatory concept is considered capable of facilitating the interests of various parties (Septiana et al, 2023).…”