Sharpening the understanding of socio-ecological landscapes in participatory land-use planning. A case study in Lao PDR

Human and wildlife usage of a protected area buffer zone in an area of high immigration

“…Even where rural land-use planning is truly participatory (Mathbor, 2008) the quality of the plans and their successful implementation can pose significant challenges in achieving conservation and development aims (Songorwa, 1999;Masalu, 2000;Bourgoin, 2012). In the case of our study site it is still possible to resolve these issues before the agricultural frontier encroaches heavily on the Wildlife Management Area .…”

Integrating a participatory process with a GIS-based multi-criteria decision analysis for protected area zoning in China

“…Stakeholder involvement is regarded as a cornerstone for the development of successful and effective land management programs. Participation by diverse user groups in the early stages of the planning process integrates a comprehensive understanding of the needs and concerns of the different stakeholders into the overall plan as opposed to imposing topdown "intrusive land management strategies" that can lead to greater conflict (Agrawal 1995;Bourgoin 2012). Thus, our approach emphasises the importance of public participation in the early stages of the park management design, a practice not common in China's planning process.…”

Engaging Local Communities in Low Emissions Land-Use Planning: a Case Study from Laos

“…During the initial learning phase, local villagers involved in the village land management committee designed a land-use plan for a fictional village. This involved a role-playing game named "PLUP Fiction" that was used in combination with participatory 3D modeling to clarify the links between landuse planning decisions and their consequences for livelihoods (Bourgoin andCastella 2011, Bourgoin et al 2012). Participants manipulated simple figures corresponding to socioeconomic and environmental returns per hectare from each type of land use in their village.…”

“…By employing a socioeconomic and environmental assessment tool based on a participatory geographic information system (GIS), members of the village land management committee along with government representatives could explore alternative landscape-change scenarios and assess their implications in terms of resource management strategies (Bourgoin 2012). The process is iterative; after the model outputs have been communicated to the actors, they are free to modify the landuse plans and negotiate new arrangements until they reach an agreement on consensual management rules for the next 10 years that will then be endorsed by the district administration.…”