Thesis Abstracts U-Z

1st Century Allies: the Role and Effectiveness of Partnerships between Non Governmental Organisations and Protected Area Agencies in the State of Montana

Alicia Vanderheiden ( 2003)

Protected areas showcase the world's most precious natural, cultural and historic resources. However, these important reservoirs are being steadily reduced to 'islands' amid a sea of conflict. Non governmental organisations have been instrumental in helping to preserve the integrity of protected sites around the globe and in augmenting the total land under protection, but the effectiveness of the private and public sector is limited when working unilaterally. Public-private partnerships have emerged as a tool for building innovative, multi-stakeholder solutions outside traditional processes and jurisdictions. This study researches five main elements of partnerships: rationale, role, benefits and challenges, effectiveness and opportunities for improvement. In the United States, the use of partnerships is increasing rapidly. Although they are touted as a more efficient and effective means of resolving complex conflicts and garnering broad support, there has been little documentation about their success. Using the state of Montana as a research focus, this study assesses the current value and future potential of partnerships between protected area agencies and non governmental organisations.

Conservation Through Landscape Stewardship: A Case Study of Vermont, USA

Catherine Walkley (2001)

North American conservation efforts have traditionally focused on protected areas set aside for preservation. However, as public resources for land acquisition are declining and land ethics are shifting new conservation options are required. It is widely accepted that parks can no longer be treated as "islands" in isolation from their surroundings, but need to be part of a larger integrated system which takes into account human activity (McNeely et al., 1990).

Stewardship promotes Man as a responsible manager for protecting land, acknowledging the need for people to take care of the earth embracing conservation on working landscapes.

This thesis examines whether the stewardship approach is viable as a conservation tool, with reference to Vermont, USA. It seeks to achieve this through the examination of not only environmental criteria, but also the cultural, political and economical attributes associated with conservation. Investigating the contrasting range of conservation techniques in Vermont particularly focuses on the suitability of stewardship approaches to guarantee long-term protection.

A literature review provides the conceptual base to the study. This draws on academic articles, conservation groups' management documents, leaflets and websites which describe the different management practices within a range of protected areas, reflecting their contrasting histories and purposes. This data is enhanced through semi-structured interviews with conservation organisations which allows further scrutiny of the rationale behind organisations philosophies and ascertains their future objectives.

In conclusion, this data will be combined to gain an insight into the applicability of stewardship in Vermont and will recommend measures that are necessary for it to endure as a conservation approach.

Theory and Practice of Environmental Valuation: A Case Study in Snowdonia National Park, UK

Neil Watts (2001)

There is a global consensus that the environment is a vital and valuable resource. This study begins by outlining why we should value the environment as a resource and why it is currently so undervalued and overused. Various methodologies of how we can place a value on the environment are then discussed, focusing on the Contingent Valuation Methodology (CVM). A field study is then carried out using both the open ended and payment card techniques of CVM to attempt to place a value on Snowdonia National Park (SNP). The difference in respondents' value of SNP is negligible between the two techniques, however, fewer respondents protested against the payment card technique suggesting that this is the better of the two techniques. Evidence is also presented, which suggests that respondents' frequency of recreational activities in both SNP and the countryside in general has a positive relationship with respondents' value of SNP. The study goes on to examine how Protected Landscape authorities might benefit from this type of survey. Finally, it offers several suggestions for further work and ways in which CVM might be improved.

A Review of the Application of Limits of Acceptable Change (LAC) in the United States: Achievements, Constraints and Opportunities

Brad Weltzien ( 2003)

Since the mid-1980's, the Limits of Acceptable Change (LAC) planning system has gradually replaced traditional carrying capacity approaches, and has become an important tool for managing recreational impacts in protected areas. LAC was specifically designed to balance conflicting goals within wilderness areas: preserving wilderness conditions and providing high quality recreational experiences. LAC has redefined the way we perceive and address recreational impacts. Rather than focusing solely on use-limits, LAC defines minimally 'acceptable' biophysical and social conditions and utilises a variety of direct and indirect management actions, to maintain them. Because we do not fully understand cause and affect relationships in nature, LAC provides managers with a flexible, learning-oriented approach, which supports the use of adaptive management. Similarly, it incorporates active public involvement and a variety of information sources - apart from strict scientific data - to reach decisions ultimately based on value-judgements. Although LAC is widely used and demonstrates clear advantages over past approaches, a variety of obstacles exist that limit its overall effectiveness in the field. Through a survey of LAC team leaders that work for the US Forest Service, this paper identifies a range of achievements, constraints and opportunities currently associated with the LAC process in the United States.

Management Planning of Site Specific Protected Areas in the UK: A case study of Pen Dinas and Tan y Bwlch LNR

Deborah Willis (2000)

The management planning process for site specific protected areas is much more than production of a management plan. Site specific protected areas around the UK are increasingly adopting a management planning process in which participation by the local community is being recognised as an essential element to motivate support and action. Community participation can provide numerous benefits, but it is also an approach which can present many challenges.

This research thesis explores ways in which different site specific protected areas have chosen to approach the management planning process and examines the management planning process for one particular site specific protected area - Pendinas and Tan y bwlch LNR. The role played by the community in this particular management planning process is critically examined. Conclusions are drawn from which recommendations are suggested for future improvements to this particular management planning process.

Heeding the Lessons Learnt: A Comparative Analysis of Two ICAD Projects in Papua New Guinea

Karen Wolbers (1998)

Papua New Guinea is thought to contain 5-7% of the world's biodiversity endowment and is matched by the nation's tremendous cultural diversity. The global value of this diversity has only gradually been revealed by relatively recent anthropological and ecological research. Recent rapid changes, both social and environmental, have served to threaten the future of PNG's natural resources. Significant and timely official recognition of Papua new Guinea's (PNG) considerable contribution to the Earth's biodiversity pool came in 1993, when international support was awarded to foster local conservation initiatives. The Global Environment Facility (GEF), the PNG Department of Environment and Conservation and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have formed in partnership the PNG Biodiversity and Conservation and Resource Management Programme. Central to this programme is the establishment of Integrated Conservation and Development Projects (ICADPs).

ICADPs are a relatively new methodology which have evolved out of the limited success of conserving biodiversity in developing countries through the use of "western" national park systems. To sustain the biological diversity of PNG for future generations ICADPs are based on the premise that it is necessary to link the health and prosperity needs of the people with the wise use of the nation's natural resources.

This thesis provides an insight into the two ICADPs trialed in PNG to establish Conservation Areas for biodiversity protection and to assist local resource owners to attain their development goals by sustainable means. The thesis begins by providing a background to ICADP philosophy, history and the development of the methodology, before exploring the components of the ICADP process. The social, political and economic environment of PNG is described to set the contextual background in which ICADPs are operating in PNG. This thesis then provides an overview of the first ICADP (located in Lak), including a summary of the "lessons learnt", before proceeding to a comparative analysis of the second ICADP (located at Bismarck-Ramu). This thesis concludes with a tentative prediction as to the possible future of ICADPs as a method of conserving biodiversity in Papua New Guinea.

Indigenous Communities and Conservation of the Colombian Amazon: the COAMA Programme

Fiona Worthington (1999)

In 1988 a network of NGOs established a programme of activities (Consolidation of the Amazon Region - COAMA) with indigenous communities in the Colombian Amazon. Their aim was to support indigenous peoples in the recuperation and strengthening of their culture and identity, as a strategy for protecting the rainforest's rich biological diversity. The impetus for this initiative came from the Colombian Government's decision to grant the indigenous peoples collective ownership to over 800,00km² of Amazon territory, as a policy for both human rights and environmental protection.

There are now almost 2,000,000km² of Colombian Amazon designated as collective indigenous territory (resguardos), and COAMA is nearing the end of its third, and possibly final phase.

This dissertation aims to present the COAMA initiative within the context of Colombia's national strategy for protected areas and the development of indigenous rights in the country.

The basic subject matter and aims are outlined in Chapter 1. Chapter 2 presents the cultural, ecological and political characteristics of the Colombian Amazon, and the country's system of protected areas. Chapter 3 looks at the development of indigenous rights in Colombia, along with the role of indigenous peoples in sustainable development.

The history, organisational structure and methodology of COAMA are presented in Chapter 4, along with an analysis of the difficulties and achievements of this approach. Chapter 5 considers other options for biodiversity conservation in the Colombian amazon, and highlights the problems where indigenous territories overlap with protected areas.

In conclusion, Chapter 6 considers the viability of indigenous models as a strategy for the conservation of the Colombian Amazon, with specific reference to the COAMA Programme.

Community Participation and National Park Management : A Case Study of Communities along Gangsai Riverside within Bukit Tigapuluh National Park, Indonesia

Amon Zamora(1999)

The study undertaken was aimed at examining the generation of community participation in relation to National Park Management. A case study is presented on local communities who live along the Gangsai riverside within Bukit Tigapuluh National Park, Indonesia.

A model of conceptual framework was created, called BIKE framework. This framework comprises three essential components: Benefit - Interests and Knowledge which should be Evaluated in the long term regularly. The three components are implemented in the case study to analyse the application of the concept of community participation.

The Bukit Tigapuluh National Park is subject to undesirable pressure from local human activities and several parts of the Park area have already been seriously degraded. On the other hand, this Park lacks management resources in terms of budgeting, regular personnel and well-qualified staff.

It was discovered that a significant interest of the people who live within the Park is "how to fulfil their basic needs", such as; the needs for job opportunities, increasing crop production, and allowing them to collect forest products as "direct benefits" derived from the Park. They have not only made several disturbances on the landscapes of the Park area, such as practising shifting cultivation on hilly terrain, and cutting down fruit trees within the forest, but have also claimed an area within the Park as "ulayat land". This "ulayat land" has been used for hunting, gathering and cultivating crops. Therefore it is crucial to develop communication with the local people in order to accommodate the need to conserve the Park and the interests of the local people.

It is strongly recommended that collaborative management be employed between an internal and external network in order to trace the different interests among people, human activities and appropriate benefits for the local people. The collaborative management should also regularly evaluate the types of benefits that can stimulate the community's interest to conserve the Park, and the level of conservation knowledge that is required.