Investigating urban residents' involvement in biodiversity conservation in protected areas: Empirical evidence from Vietnam

Abstract

Biodiversity provides many benefits to humans in general and urban residents in particular. However, the rising population, income, and wildlife product consumption demands contribute to the deliberately organized illegal wildlife trade expansion. Protected areas are designated mainly for biodiversity conservation but face financial constraints for management activities. The increased illegal wildlife trade and lack of financing in protected areas can negatively affect biodiversity levels. Thus, the current dissertation is dedicated to answering the question: “How can we mitigate biodiversity loss in protected areas by better involving urban residents in biodiversity conservation?”To answer this question, the dissertation comprises three studies and data collection about the psychology and behaviors related to biodiversity and conservation among urban residents.