Gustavo S. M. Andrade|Jonathan R. Rhodes
Protected Areas and Local Communities: an Inevitable Partnership toward Successful Conservation Strategies?
University of Queensland|University of Queensland
many protected areas pas followed conventional exclusionary approach applied yellowstone 1872as many parks failed fully integrate important factors social cultural political issuesin cases triggered adverse social impacts local communities disrupting traditional ways living limiting control access natural resourcessuch outcome undermine protection policies conflicts park managers local communitiesthe success conservation strategies protected areas may lie ability managers reconcile biodiversity conservation goals social economic issues promote greater compliance local communities pa conservation strategieshowever quantitative studies identifying key factors lead better compliance pa conservation policiesto address issue conducted metaanalysis 55 published case studies developing countries determine whether level compliance local communities pa regulations related 1 pa age 2 pa area 3 existence buffer zone 4 level protection defined iucn categories 5 gross domestic product per capita 6 population density vicinity pas 7 level local community participation pa managementwe found local community participation pa decisionmaking process variable significantly related level compliance pa policesin general higher level participation higher level compliancethis important implications pa management suggests greater inclusion local communities management key strategy ensuring integrity pas