Thesis Abstracts A-E

Conflict Resolution and Management in Protected Area Systems in Ghana

Alexander Akwoviah (2000)

This research was conducted between July and November 1999 to identify and evaluate the various conflict situations in four selected wildlife protected areas of Ghana that have arisen as a result of the establishment of conservation areas in the country. The research also investigated the types of conflict resolution interventions that have been employed by the Wildlife Department to resolve these conflicts as well as their degree of success. The roles played by NGOs, politicians and other organisations towards the resolution and/or aggravation of the conflicts have also been investigated. Information for the thesis was obtained through the review of the reports in the Wildlife Department files at the head office in Accra and at the four protected areas, and discussions held with both wildlife officers in the protected areas and with chiefs and other members of the communities in and around these areas as well as political authorities and other stakeholders.

The root cause of the protected area conflicts in the four areas centres on the mode of their establishment and the management regime adopted by the Wildlife Department, which resulted in the alienation of the local people from the land and the resources that they have depended on for their livelihood and local economy.

Several conflict resolution approaches/interventions have been adopted by the WD in an attempt to resolve the conflicts. The best solutions have been achieved when the stakeholders discussed the problems with open mindedness and readiness to offer compromises for peace. The involvement of NGOs and/or official administrations have been crucial in the resolution of some of the conflicts.

Recommendations are offered for the resolution of the remaining conflicts and for the sustainable maintenance of peace and co-operation in the areas where the conflicts have been resolved. Protected areas must have local relevance and importance for them to be acceptable. Local people's participation must be guaranteed, awareness raised and benefits from the areas must be commensurate or comparable with those gained from the former use of the land. Finally, the adoption of the Protected Landscape concept is recommended for the establishment of future reserves.

Community Participation in Ceredigion Marine Protected Area Management

Liz Allan (1997)

Marine protected area management is regarded as still being in its infancy, but recent international initiatives have identified the need for the development of management in the marine environment. Whilst the positive benefits of local community involvement in terrestrial biodiversity management are now widely recognised and accepted, the way in which local people can be directly involved in the management of inshore coastal waters is less clear.

The experience of local community participation in a voluntary marine protected area in Ceredigion, West Wales provides an example of what can be achieved when a community perceives a protected area to be "theirs".

The Marine Heritage Coast was established five years ago at the request of local people who were concerned about the well being of their local dolphins. The importance of the area for the bottlenose dolphin has recently been more widely recognised by the introduction of the new international designation Marine Special Area of Conservation.

The issue of "ownership" of ideas for this marine area is now under debate, and it remains to be seen how the unique philosophy that underpins Marine Heritage Coast management will translate into statutory Special Area of Conservation management. The potential exists to develop an effective means of conserving an important element of the UK coastal ecosystem for future generations to enjoy and appreciate. However, an integration of the strengths of the "bottom up" approach of the local community with the benefits afforded by the "top down" approach of the UK government will be necessary to create an effective framework for future management of this marine area.

What is project C.A.T? : A Qualitative Study of an Integrated Education and Wildlife Research Program Washington State USA

Priscilla Allen (2004)

Project CAT (Cougars and Teaching) is an innovative and inspiring project being implemented in a small town in central Washington State (USA). It is an effort to create a Professional Learning Community, whereby students from the local public school can participate in authentic wildlife research being conducted by government wildlife management agencies and universities. Thus, it is an educational enhancement project, an environmental education project and a wildlife research project. More importantly, it is a network project that builds bridges between educational institutions, wildlife management and research agencies and community organisations.

Project CAT may provide a model that could be replicated elsewhere in the world because the potential benefits for all parties are substantial. (1) Project-based learning has been demonstrated as being effective in terms of improving education.

(2) The participation of a broad sector of the community (the school population) in wildlife research may contribute toward the creation of a citizenry that is aware of its stewardship responsibilities regarding the environment. And (3) being able to tap into the infrastructure of schools to utilise the power of citizen science may provide wildlife research and managers with a way of substantially increasing data gathering capacity.

Project CAT is in its infancy. This thesis aims to provide a qualitative 'snapshot' overview of the project by documenting what its goals are, who the partners are, and what they are doing. In order to do that, project related literature was reviewed, stakeholders were identified, a survey was conducted regarding perceived goals, motivations for being involved and visions for the future. Responses were analysed and recommendations are given there are areas in which the project could take steps to overcome issues of misunderstanding and clarification of expectations. Overall, Project CAT is a fascinating experiment in the integration of diverse institutions - schools, universities, government agencies, private sector businesses, funding agencies - to identify common goals, develop mutually beneficial strategies and build overarching infrastructures to achieve them.

Raising the Standard: The Development of Competence Standards for Protected Area Occupations in South East Asia.

Michael Appleton ( 2002)

South East Asia's network of more than 1,000 protected areas covers nearly 10% of the region's land area and protects some of the greatest concentrations of biodiversity and endemism in the world. The protected areas system is by no means secure, however, and lack of training for its staff and inadequate capacity of the authorities charged with managing the system are significant reasons for this.

This dissertation documents an initiative by the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) to improve regional cooperation and capacity for biodiversity conservation. The underlying premise is that improved competence among protected area staff will lead to better management and protection and that therefore the requirements of skills, knowledge and understanding should be clearly defined. Occupational standards that define such requirements have been in use in the developed world for more than thirty years as a means to provide sector-wide descriptions of competences required for specific jobs, but such standards have only more recently been used in the conservation sector.

The main theme of the dissertation is the development of occupational standards for protected area jobs in ASEAN countries, reflecting and encouraging good practice within the region and providing an adaptable framework for improving training and institutional capacity. This is the first such exercise conducted in South East Asia: to complete it two main strands of activity were followed:

1. A review of the current situation concerning human resource development and training in the main national protected areas authorities in the ten countries of the ASEAN. This review revealed a significant amount of established good practice amid a 'rising sea' of problems related to lack of capacity and support and the failure of donor-aided projects successfully to address institutional issues. A set of recommendations for regenerating these institutions is proposed.
2. The development of draft technical competences and job standards for protected areas staff in the region. This started with the collation of a compendium of skills identified as being important in ASEAN countries from 30 relevant documents. A participatory workshop with representatives from protected area authorities and training institutions from nine ASEAN countries then reviewed, edited and sorted this 'skills compendium' into a final set of 17 competence categories and five competence levels, from labourer to director. Workshop participants then defined 24 generic protected areas jobs and identified which competences would ideally be required for each. The resulting definitions of skills and knowledge requirements constitute the draft occupational standards.

The potential of these standards for addressing the concerns raised in the regional capacity review is evaluated in terms of improving the capacity of training institutions, individuals and protected area management in the region and several countries have already expressed interest in using them, but for widespread adoption they must be shown and understood to be non-prescriptive and adaptable to national cultures, priorities and sensitivities.

The role of the natural resource tenure systems and other legal and structural factors in successful wildlife management in Namibia's communal areas

Karl Aribeb (2000)

Protected areas have been playing a pioneering role in managing the world's critical natural resources. This situation is currently being challenged by numerous threats that emanate from factors such as technological advancements, human population growth, backlash from historical approaches towards protected area management, and inappropriate policies. The study investigates the extent to which Namibia's protected areas are subject to such challenges. A number of shortcomings are identified which demonstrate that Namibia's protected areas in isolation are unable to meet the country's conservation needs. A conclusion is drawn that innovative conservation strategies are required for lands outside protected areas.

The study concludes that the implementation of the above-mentioned strategies needs to involve the creation of an enabling system of governance that decentralises decision-making, forges partnerships with the affected communities, and devolves of tenurial rights.

In light of the shortcomings and the needs for an enabling system of governance mentioned earlier, the dissertation examines to what extent Namibia's wildlife management strategy of "community-based natural resources management" (CBNRM), actually addresses current conservation needs. It further seeks to assess if CBNRM actually augments the efforts of the protected areas, and indeed, represents a new governance strategy.

The study found that CBNRM largely represents a modern governance system that actually devolves proprietary rights to communities and, therefore, forges a partnership between the State and these communities, while it also decentralises authority away from the central government. Long-term viability of this programme is, however, facing two grave shortcomings, i.e: the current limitation of the CBNRM to wildlife resources only; and the absence of secure land tenure in communal areas.

The study makes a few recommendations related to these shortcomings, and also highlights some of the strengths of the CBNRM programme. These recommendations will primarily be used for further development of the Namibian CBNRM policy and legislation.

Strategies against Stasis: the management systems framework as a tool to design, evaluate and monitor a protected landscape approach. A test case

MARK ATTWATER (2000)

This thesis will explore, analyse and discuss the Budongo Forest Project of Masindi, North Western Uganda, by first examining the history and development of protected areas and subsequently the evolution of the Budongo Forest Project itself. The thesis is primarily an attempt to test a proposed process of monitoring and evaluative mechanisms that could hypothetically be applied by the project. This was achieved by combining theory with experience gained at the project.

Identifying the project as typical of numerous other such projects found working, particularly in the developing world. The thesis advances a programme of monitoring and evaluation designed specifically for the project, but applicable to others similar. A programme of monitoring and evaluation that takes into account the demands and restriction that challenge such projects and builds upon strengths and opportunities that the projects offer.

Accepting that projects such as Budongo Forest Project generally do not have access to the support systems that assist in the monitoring and evaluation of work undertaken, the thesis develops and proposes a thorough in-house programme to be undertaken by the project management team that builds upon the advantages this may offer whilst developing techniques: participatory discussion, review of issues, logic trees etc., that ensure an acceptable degree of logical objectivity.

The hypothesis for this was developed whilst the author was Acting director for Budongo Forest Project in 1998.

Principally three accepted managerial mechanisms were combined to provide a platform for the effective programme. As a foundation the thesis discusses the "Evaluative Culture" a primarily conceptual theory that promotes reflection of problems and issues and encourages personal, departmental and institutional responsibility for identifying solutions.

Secondly, two approaches to evaluation are discussed (Formative and Summative) and the Formative, an on-going evaluation of the process, rather than output (Summative) proposed.

The third structural element is then discussed. The Management Systems Framework. Chosen primarily as it ensures a complete examination of an organisation's structure, outputs and activities with a direct reference to strategy.

The purpose of this examination is to develop a theoretical system of monitoring and evaluation that may be replicated for other projects and to suggest that it is an invaluable tool to a neglected protected area sector, with special relevance to projects active within a protected landscape.

Women ,Wood and Wildlife: The Role and Involvement of Women in Community Based Natural Resource Management in the Luangwa Valley, Zambia

Helene Barnes (2000)

Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) aims to encourage and enable local communities surrounding strictly protected areas to make positive contributions to conservation and to gain tangible benefits from their efforts. The Luangwa Integrated Rural Development Project (LIRDP) operating in Eastern Zambia, has been introducing CBNRM to the people of the Lupande Game Management Area (GMA) which surrounds the South Luangwa National Park (SLNP).

Despite aiming to devolve power and responsibility to the community, CBNRM often fails to influence the behaviour of all the resource managers in the community, because it is dominated by those with the skills and confidence to participate meaningfully, and focuses on the conservation of the resources managed by those people.

Women play an important role in the management of many resources - forests, grass, water - on which the revenue from hunting in the Lupande GMA depends. However, their family responsibilities, poverty, lack of education and social status and dependence on others for initiative place constraints on their ability to make management decisions for long-term sustainability.

In order that incentive schemes such as revenue distribution (e.g from the sale of hunting licences), encourage conservation of all the natural resources within an ecosystem, the benefit provided must reach all bearers of the cost of conservation, be clearly linked to the sound management of natural resources and represent a sufficient incentive to local people to co-operate. The dominance of men over women in the Luangwa Valley and the reliance of LIRDP on organisational structures which limit women's involvement mean the incentives provided are not achieving this and therefore are not efficiently and effectively promoting conservation.

Participation by the whole community in the decision-making process of CBNRM is essential if it is to be successful. However, both male and female attitudes towards women's role in the community, women's lack of confidence and skills in communication, and lack of sense of mutual support amongst women preclude their effective participation.

Recommendations which can be realistically implemented are made for key measures to promote women's involvement in CBNRM projects and specific actions to address these are proposed for LIRDP.

Assessment of the Natural Resources Conservation Conflicts in Tanzania. A Case Study of the Rumanyika Game Reserve in Karagwe District.

Frederick Batinoluho (2001)

As human populations expand, resources within protected areas will come under increasing pressure. Without concerted efforts to integrate local communities within protected area management, habitat destruction will become increasingly significant, jeopardising past conservation efforts and the future of some societies. Attempts to conserve biodiversity has often created conflict between local people and protected areas, which is worsened by a lack of communication between conservation agencies and local communities.

Following the increasing human demand on land-based resources, there exists competition between man and man, and between man and natural resources, such as wildlife. As a result of land use pressure for agriculture, livestock production, mining and settlement, some protected areas are becoming increasingly encroached. The ongoing conservation conflicts in Tanzania particularly in the Rumanyika Game Reserve is a typical example. It is now common in Tanzania to observe evidence of human activities within and up to the edges of protected areas boundaries. This situation creates several other management problems. Not only are conservation managers responsible for ensuring that protected area boundaries are respected, but they have to deal with problems resulting from sharing common boundaries with conflicting land use practices.

This study assesses the status and types of the natural resources conservation conflicts within Tanzania, focusing in particular on the Rumanyika Game Reserve and its neighbouring local communities. The case study analyses the nature of the conservation conflicts in Rumanyika Game Reserve and examines the possible causes of those conflicts; having done so it suggests different approaches to be adopted in managing the various conservation conflicts in the reserve. The study goes further in examining the local communities' conservation awareness around the reserve.

In conclusion, the researcher adheres to the notion that the success of local community approaches to natural resource conservation in Africa will depend solely on an integrated approach to local, national and international economic relations. Economic realities that dictate political priorities in Africa make natural resources conservation one of the most challenging policy problems to resolve

Sustainable Futurescapes: A Case Study of the Application of the Quality of Life Assessment in the Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in the UK

Zoe Bell (2004)

There is growing recognition of the role that protected areas must play in moving towards sustainability, particularly those which exist as a result of human modification - the protected landscapes. The lessons to be learnt from these, and their modern and traditional inhabitants, may hold valuable insights for sustainable landscape management.

But how will these lessons be drawn out, analysed and assimilated? Protected landscapes managers require the best tools and approaches available to assist with their tasks, from strategic level planning to daily management activities.

A recent development in the UK context has been the Quality of Life Assessment (QOLA), an approach for management planning in a variety of circumstances. The tool claims to be applicable to all geographical scales, and to provide an holistic overview, cutting across sectors. It helps users discover what matters and why, by analysing the benefits and services provided by the features or attributes under consideration. It can assimilate subjective, 'lived' opinions and experiences alongside technical or expert data.

This study examines the potential usefulness of such a tool for managers of a particular type of protected landscape in the UK - the Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Having submitted their first compulsory Management Plans in April 2004, this study analyses the management planning processes undertaken through appraisal of these plans, and through questionnaires to the AONB managers themselves, and compares them with functions performed by the QOLA. It also investigates how useful the QOLA might be in a variety of situations realistically faced by AONB managers, through analysis of the pilots already undertaken using QOLA. The questionnaires are also used to discover whether a market for the approach exists, and semi-structured interviews with key informants are then employed to investigate where particularly the QOLA should be targeted in AONB management planning.

Images and Ideological Messages in National Park Visitor Information: A Case Study of Snowdonia National Park

David Bethell (1998)

Images are important in all aspects of society, they are everywhere and used by everyone. Images are created by producers (either an individual or an organisation) and contain the attitudes and ideas - a certain "way of thinking" of those individuals or organisations. Images can contain a certain ideology that the producers of the images believe in. In protected areas and National Parks, images of wilderness and nature are important in propagating ideas of nature conservation and in building a consensus of support.

In many contemporary protected areas, tourists are an important management issue - visitation can help build consensus and provide support for the protected area and can provide a valuable source of income. In an English and Welsh context, the National Parks have a statutory obligation to provide for the enjoyment and understanding of the Parks by visitors. Historically, British Parks have always had tourists and visitors as being central to their aims and establishment - in the past lobby groups wanted areas protected for the recreation value they gave as much as for nature conservation. Therefore tourist use existed before ideas of biodiversity and sustainable development.

In order to fulfil this statutory obligation, National Park Authorities produce visitor information in the form of brochures, posters, leaflets and newspapers. This visitor information contains images of the Park and special aspects of the Park that make it unique. The National Park Authority will have a certain set of attitudes and beliefs relating to the Park, and its special aspects or qualities, and these attitudes will be reflected in management plans and policies. This dissertation examines whether these attitudes and beliefs of the NPA are reflected and contained within the information the NPA produces for visitors and tourists. Content analysis is the method used to determine the recurring themes and ideas in visitor information. These are compared to those that emerge through a management policy review and conclusions drawn. The messages that are apparent in visitor information reflect what the NPA believes are the important factors and characteristics of the Park. The case study centres on Snowdonia National Park in North Wales. Visitor attitudes are important for the daily management of the Park, and the job of the NPA can only be aided by their attitudes and beliefs being transmitted effectively through visitor information.

Education Services in the National Park Authorities of England and Wales

David Brinn (1997)

The educational provisions of the 10 National Parks in England and Wales vary considerably. From Park to Park there are differences in staffing levels, budgets and methods of working. Whilst many of the services available from the individual National Park Education Sections seek to satisfy similar demands, the scope and content of the service-delivery is by no means uniform.

During the 1930s and 1940s, a number of government-appointed committees looked into possible mechanisms for setting up National Parks in Britain and considered the role and functions of the Parks. Education in the Parks was invariably one of the topics germane to their discussions. There was a widespread concern that visitors would not know how to "behave properly" in the Parks and a process of education would therefore be necessary to ensure that the Parks and their residents would not suffer from the excursions of "townspeople". There was also a fear that young people would undertake ill-prepared expeditions in the National Parks risking life and limb in the process. Two of the products of such concerns were the production (and teaching) of a Country Code for good behaviour in the countryside and the appointment of Youth and Schools Liaison Officers in the Parks to encourage safe conduct during adventurous activities. There were, however, more expansive thinkers and they promoted the idea that education in the National Parks should also involve the provision of opportunities for people to study aspects such as the ecology of the Park areas, their geomorphological features, history and settlement patterns. It was also recognised that education needed to be uplifting so that people would support the ideals of the Parks.

The 1949 National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act, which embodied the legislation for the setting up and running of National Parks in England and Wales, perhaps surprisingly, had little to say about education. Further, since the financial provisions which had been made for the Parks were not generous (nor were they uniform), it is not surprising that educational provisions developed in an ad hoc way.

As time went by, factors such as the differences in financial provisions; the varying degrees of support for educational work by the Park Committees; the influence of enthusiastic individuals and the nature of the educational catchments were to determine the ways in which the various Education Services developed. External factors such as the increasing concerns about the environment, the requirements of the National Curriculum and the emergence of environmental management as a discipline resulted in an increase in the volume and sophistication of the demand for educational resources from the Parks.

The response from the Parks varied such that today some Parks have a large commitment to education, with study centres and considerable staff input, whilst others employ a single specialist to look after the area. In 1995, the environment Act redefined the purposes of the National Park and the "promotion of understanding" forms an important part of this redefinition. Through improved co-operation the Parks' Education Services could take advantage of this new opportunity and could deliver an enhanced overall service whilst retaining the freedom to provide a local response to local demands.

The Quest for Relevance: Developing Objective-Based Standards for Protected Areas

Andy Brock-Doyle (2001)

This thesis responds to growing concern amongst protected area professionals that many protected areas around the world are not achieving the objectives for which they were established. As a result of this the need to increase management effectiveness is becoming a prominent protected area management issue, with a number of assessment methods currently being developed and tested. One method that has been considered, but not properly tested, is the development of objective-based standards.

The success of standards in increasing management effectiveness in protected areas depends on their ability to be used as a tool for adaptive management. Critical to this is the fact that standards must be relevant to each and every protected area that they cover. This thesis therefore investigates the nature of relevance and identifies different elements that need to be addressed in the preparation of standards, to ensure that whilst covering a number of different protected areas they remain relevant for individual protected areas. The thesis will also identify a number of key stages in the process for preparing standards that, if undertaken, will ensure their relevance and will identify a set of principles that must be adhered when going through these key stages.

In order to give a practical context to the development of standards the thesis also looks at the wider notion of management effectiveness, identifying what is happening at a global scale and the different issues that need to be considered. It also presents an argument as to why, in the opinion of the author, assessments of management effectiveness should focus primarily on the objectives of a protected area. Research for the thesis was carried out in Tasmania, Australia and therefore the protected area network of Tasmania is used to illustrate arguments throughout the main body of the text.

Natural Resources Management: Valuing Biodiversity. A Critical Analysis of Protected Areas in Portugal.

Eduardo Carquejeiro (1999)

The thesis presents an up-to-date global environment assessment, regarding some of the more serious environmental questions that affect the Earth's global ecosystem, focusing on the major problems occurring in order to understand the negative impact of today's economic model.

The debate on sustainable development and the issues related to the sustainability concept are reviewed. On the one hand focusing conceptually on the attitudes and consequences of economic growth and on the other on the range of definitions that concern the notions of sustainability, as well as the importance of the sustainable development concept. It analyses the relation between population growth, economic development and the environment, presenting the ethical debate around the concept of environmental economics and therefore explaining the link between biodiversity, ecological functions and the properties that a resource can give, focusing on the different types of values of these environmental resources.

The study presents the Protected areas conceptual questions, detailing its international system categorisation, taking an historical look at their evolution, and comprehending and stressing the important contributions that the protected areas can make to the economy and the ecology.

In a sustainable development scenario, the reverse of centuries-old trends of economic growth against nature, must be obtained by understanding the positive economic contribution of natural processes in the global economy, which arise as a consequence of the benefits generated by the biodiversity and the natural resources.

Afterwards the thesis introduces the regional study of Portugal, focusing first on an environmental assessment of Europe and presenting then the physical, social, economic and environmental characterisation and scenario for the sustainable development strategy proposal, based on the Portuguese protected areas network and on the previous conceptual model.

The Portuguese network of protected areas is then reviewed, presenting its historical and juridical evolution, its management objectives, as well as their conflicts and problems, focusing on the ecological functions played by the protected area system. The construction of a sustainable development for the Portuguese protected areas, focusing on the policies and the necessity to build integrated actions, is a way to obtain present and future sustainability and overpass today's economic and environmental problems.

The Policy Environment of Trinidad and Tobago: Challenges to Integration for Biodiversity Planning

Robyn Cross (2003)

The convention on Biological Diversity ascribes growing emphasis to the integration of conservation and sustainable use concepts into policies, plans and programmes in national efforts to improve conservation and move towards sustainable systems.

The policy environment is critical in the acceptance and integration of these issues especially in Small Island Developing States like Trinidad and Tobago, that are often hard pressed to keep abreast of international agreements. They suffer capacity constraints of manpower and other resources in their policy and planning environments. Their responses may be reactive and externally dictated as they fight to keep up with conditions of trade, sanctions and development.

Emerging from a participatory process of biodiversity strategic planning, issues of policy were identified as critical to management of the islands' natural resources. Top-down approaches were entrenched in institutions even as others were opening their planning systems to discussion and participation. Policy formulation suffered from lack of research and data, appraisal and evaluation to inform new directions and policies were often severely outdated.

The study finds that people have diminished faith in a policy environment that appears to be chaotic, uneven and not widely consultative. Manipulation of planning systems for political gain and lack of political commitment for needed changes hampers the path of integration. While numerous national and regional policies also speak to inclusion, participation and integration, there is little progress in this direction.

Evaluation of Environmental Education examples from Vietnam

Fiona Cruchley (2005)

This study reviews a selection of environmental education programmes in Vietnam and assesses the efforts that were made to evaluate their impact. Recommendations are made for the development of a framework to allow environmental educators working in the country to review their programmes.

Conservation, Development and Industrial Heritage - a wider role for Snowdonia National Park?

Carwyn Davies (2000)

Cultural heritage is today perceived as being at the forefront of conservation management. Not only does it enhance our understanding of the historical development of societies, but it also enables the interpretation of how societies have interacted - and continue to interact - with their surrounding environment. It is therefore a key consideration in the concept of sustainable development.

Protected areas and in particular IUCN Category V protected landscapes, offer opportunities to manage for sustainable development within an integrated framework. However, whilst such an approach may be highly effective within a designated area, the same area is nonetheless an integral part of the wider landscape, and research has shown that communities beyond but adjoining its boundaries may be adversely affected by the designation. This in turn promotes negative perceptions towards the designated area and the management approaches adopted therein, and invites conflict.

Whilst such conflict has been widely recorded and analysed in relation to strictly controlled protected areas (particularly where communities have been forcibly evicted), research into the relationships between protected landscapes and their adjacent areas has been neither rigorous nor widespread.

This study therefore examines the relationship between a protected landscape and a neighbouring community, focusing on the Snowdonia National Park, and the adjacent Nantlle Valley in North Wales. The research identifies a number of important issues relevant to the topic and concludes that the relationship between the National Park and the adjacent valley is indeed rather a negative one.

It is suggested that both the Nantlle Valley and the National Park itself would benefit from improving this relationship - for example through focusing on partnership building - and that this could be achieved through the establishment of a "gateway area" - effectively a buffer zone to the park - based on the cultural heritage of the valley. To support this, it is recommended that the valley should be formally recognised as a cultural landscape, possibly by designation as a World Heritage Site

The River Teifi SSSI and SAC. Is it workable and manageable?

Richard Davies (1999)

Sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs) cover approximately 7% of land in England and Wales. Founded under the National Parks and Countryside Act of 1949, SSSIs harbour the most scientifically interesting natural assemblages of plants, animals and landforms across Britain. Whilst recognising that their nature conservation aims and objectives are clear, their effects on the wider community are not so comprehensible.

The river Teifi SSSI and candidate SAC was designated under Section 28 of the Wildfie and Countryside Act of 1981, for its unique riverside habitat and rich flora and fauna. Located in a rural agricultural landscape characterised by intensive dairying and livestock production, the effective management of the site is seen as paramount.

In evaluating the management effectiveness of this protected area, the case study analyses the agricultural sector's concerns and also the designation's perceived impacts on the wider community of Maesycrugiau. Comparisons are made with other agri-environmental initiatives, identifying their various positive and negative attributes.

The SSSI approach has many advantages but inevitably it has generated widespread criticism. Central to its success is to forge mutual partnerships between all interested parties within and beyond the designatory boundaries. As partners, society must tackle the issues threatening the environment, leaving a landscape of which present and future generations can be proud.

The Relevance of Transboundary Protected Area Co-operation in Contemporary Conflict Resolution and Peace Building

Michelle De Cordova (2001)

Within IUCN's Parks for Peace initiative an ambiguous attitude has been taken to the potential conflict resolution and peace building roles of transboundary protected area co-operation. Although he concept that such co-operation can ease situations of international tension is promoted, the recent outputs of the initiative have focused on improving transboundary relationships that are already cordial. Much of the theoretical literature on peace and security roles for transboundary protected area co-operation dates from the early 1990's, when a number of conflict resolution and confidence-building applications were described.

Since that time there have been a number of cases in which specific protected area components have been included in peace agreements, notably in the Middle East and between Peru and Ecuador. During the same period there have been developments in protected area management thinking towards a more inclusive vision of conservation. At the same time, new perspectives on the characteristics and resolution of conflicts and the connections between environmental issues and security have been articulated in the defence, security and diplomatic fields. Against this background, an evaluation is made of the contemporary relevance of models from literature for the application of transboundary protected area co-operation in conflict situations, and possible new models are articulated.

There are indications that transboundary protected area co-operation will function most effectively as a peace building, rather than conflict resolution measure. A participative protected area approach that integrates conservation and development may best meet peace building objectives.

The Parks for Peace initiative could be restructured to clarify activity areas and better reflect the realities of contemporary conflict, which occurs less often between states and more often between intra-state communities. The message of the new, more inclusive approach to protected area management should be transmitted more clearly from the conservation to the security world, to encourage enhanced partnership.

Conservation Policies, Ethics and Partnerships for Natural Resources Management in Tanzania: A Critical Appraisal

Ezekiel Dembe (1997)

This thesis will aim to examine the conservation policies, environmental ethics and partnerships in natural resource management in Tanzania. Five conservation institutions within the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism will be examined to assess the strengths and weaknesses of their previous and existing policies, responsibilities and partnerships with other stake holders. Other issues will include the policy preparation and the general performance of these conservation bodies in relation to ethical positions or policies. The complexity of these institutions will also be examined.

An account of the methods used in gathering information will be detailed and a discussion follows after the analysis of the results. The thesis discussion examines the challenges and sources of the rampant environmental degradation in the country. Examples of serious environmental degradation are provided including deforestation, species loss and desertification. The role of government leaders and civil servants in environmental protection is widely questioned and an examination of the fact that Tanzania is a country with lofty principles but with a poor implementation record is made. Ethics is explained and its role towards the protection of the environment is clearly stated.

The thesis concludes with the findings that the crisis in conservation can be caused by poor leadership, population increase, poverty and lack of ethical standards. It is said that work ethics in the public sector has been replaced by conflicts of interest where public servants have resorted to pursuing personal interests rather than employers' interests. The thesis recommends that the government with good governance and policies could wisely use natural resources through both consumptive and non-consumptive means to improve its economy and alleviate poverty. Ethical standards backed up by a strong enforceable legislation could now be in place for economic development and protection of the environment in Tanzania.

The Importance of the Communication of Information for Protected Area Management: A case study of interpretation and interpretative planning for the Llyn Peninsula AONB

Thomas Dodds (1999)

The communication of information is critical to the success of protected area management (IUCN, 1994). Additionally, communication and information play key roles in the efforts now being made to achieve sustainable development. However the World Conservation Congress in Montreal (1996) identified the implementation and utilisation of communication as a significant area of weakness within conservation, sustainable development, and subsequently the management of protected landscapes. It is now becoming increasingly evident that without the effective implementation of well researched and long-term objectives, the behavioural change needed to achieve sustainability will never occur.

This thesis identifies the role of information and communication within protected area management. It argues that the methods and the media used to communicate information are critical to the way in which messages are understood and interpreted by their audience. The thesis focuses on interpretation and interpretative planning as a communication approach for protected area management.

To explore the management and implementation of interpretation, the Llyn peninsula provides an ideal case study. As an area heavily protected by designations, the Llyn Peninsula's AONB and Heritage Coast status create an appropriate climate in which to explore whether the weaknesses identified in Montreal are evident in this area, and the techniques and management tools currently being used.

The thesis concludes with a set of recommendations which illustrate the need for future action and identifies the ways in which information and interpretation can be used more effectively to strengthen protected area conservation and help management authorities move closer towards the goal of sustainable development.

The Relevance of Landscape Character Assessment to Protected Landscape Management: A Case Study

Mary-Jane Edwards (2000)

Protected landscapes are areas where people have in harmonious interaction with nature, fashioned landscapes of outstanding value. The management approach is therefore concerned with the conservation of human and cultural interactions that contribute to the special character of the area. For management to be effective information is required on the vital characteristics of the protected landscapes and on the factors that are affecting them.

Following the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, and the subsequent acceptance of the principles of Local Agenda 21 in the UK, sustainability has emerged as an underpinning framework for environmental management and policy. Inherent within this concept is the idea of participation. Information must be widely available and accessible, in a form which is understandable and relevant to a wide range of users and in a way that does not bias or unfairly constrain the participation or interest of a specific group. If we are to make sustainable decisions on the management of our protected landscapes we need a reliable, accountable, transparent information system that incorporates a diversity of viewpoints.

Landscape is an aggregate of the properties of land such as landform, land cover and land use arising through a number of natural and cultural processes and our experience and perception of the land. It is thus the ideal concept for information development because by its very nature, it is integrated and people focused.

However, gathering reliable, defensible and transparent information about the landscape throws out a unique set of challenges. This research has argued that by using the process of landscape character assessment we are able to successfully overcome these challenges and apply the landscape approach to information management.

Landscape Character Assessment can be applied as a reliable tool for the holistic analysis and management of landscape. It is a highly structured systematic process that yields defensible transparent information. It gives equal weight to the natural, cultural and visual dimensions of the landscape and in addition embraces the principles of information partnership. It is therefore a tool with significant relevance to the protected landscape approach.

The Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) has developed LANDMAP, a LCA process that uses a Geographical Information System (GIS) as a medium for data storage, access and dissemination. Every "byte" of information is held by each local authority in Wales on behalf of its partners. The partners range from private utility companies to tourism interests and from farming to conservation interests. The data works at a variety of levels of detail and will crucially be fed back to CCW HQ, which will ultimately maintain and explore a national landscape database.

Such a database will provide a single integrated character-based decision-support framework to underpin a number of mechanisms within landscape planning and management. These include planning and development control, landscape management, design and agri-environment policy. As the process is inclusive and incorporates a range of perspectives, it will also help to minimise and resolve conflicts on landscape issues. This dresearch demonstrates that by providing a systematic structure to decision-making, LANDMAP will inform and co-ordinate decisions pertaining to designation, planning and management of protected landscapes.

Economic Incentives for Conservation and Countryside Management - Towards Integrated Sustainable Management of Protected Areas and the Wider Countryside

Silke Einschutz (1998)

This study is concerned with the growing recognition that not only land within designated areas but all of the countryside needs to be managed sustainably. The traditional approach of land acquisition or designation cannot, however, be extended to the whole of the mostly privately owned land in the wider countryside. A new approach is therefore necessary. The study aims to show that the use of economic incentives can, if designed, implemented and operated carefully, be a valuable supplement to the traditional approach; to be used within as well as outside protected areas. The focus in showing this will be on land use -and agriculture in particular - as one important aspect of countryside management. The aim is to develop a framework and guidelines for the design and evaluation of schemes that use economic incentive measures, taking into account environmental, economic and social considerations.

In developing the ideas outlined above, the thesis provides the background information necessary to understand the rationale of economic instruments, their position in relation to other available policy options, and their use in England and Wales so far. It then tries to establish a framework within which schemes using economic instruments to achieve sustainable countryside management and biodiversity conservation can be evaluated and to prepare guidelines for the design of successful schemes. A set of criteria is developed, against which existing and future schemes can be judged.

A study of the effectiveness of interpretation methods used in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park

Susan Evans (2000)

This thesis is an exploratory study of the effectiveness of a range of interpretation facilities in terms of learning, emotional, attitudinal and behavioural outcomes on visitors to a protected area. Monitoring and evaluation in this field has been sadly lacking ever since the term "interpretation" was coined, despite its increasingly recognised importance. The research also provides an insight into the effectiveness of interpretation amongst different socio-economic groups.

The case studies used in the analysis are an historical site, guided walks, an exhibition in a visitor centre and interpretative publications in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park in south west Wales, UK.

The methodology consists of questionnaire surveys designed to collect both quantitative data and qualitative feedback from respondents. A separate questionnaire was tailored for each of the facilities studied. Data and information was collected from a total of two hundred and thirteen respondents. Observational analysis was also carried out at the visitor centre exhibition.

The results indicated that guided walks are very effective in relation to the range of outcomes studied and the historical site and publications also prove successful. However, the visitor centre exhibition was not found to be very effective due to a lack of both "attracting and holding power".

About half of the people using interpretation indicated that they were already committed conservationists, which limits the opportunity for improvement in the general public's attitudes and behaviour. This suggests that targeting might be improved to attract those whose need for interpretation is greater.

Results also showed that the success of interpretation outcomes can be affected by a person's socio-demographic profile.

The thesis goes on to discuss implications of the results for management and to make suggestions for further analysis. It is hoped that research in this field will develop in the coming years, to improve methods of monitoring and evaluation and to make interpretation more effective in increasing support for protected areas and conservation of natural resources and cultural sites worldwide.