Co-management: transformation of community affair model in Chinese nature reserves

This article analyzes the application of co-management in establishing and zoning nature reserves, explains two types of participatory models, explains the main content and steps required to implement a co-management program, and suggests future direction of co-management. In China, great progress has been achieved since 1956 when the first nature reserve was established. However, conflicts between nature reserve officials and community members, and differences be-tween conservation and utilization of natural resources suggest that the traditional community affair model is unfit to some de-gree. A more workable and economically sustainable model is recommended. Co-management appears to be the preferred management model. International conservation organizations have carried out projects in Chinese nature reserves in recent years, and co-management is thought to be an effective approach to resolve conflicts coming from community and to improve nature reserves management.

Sharing and evaluation of a new community co-management model for protecting Crested Ibis:a case study of Crested Ibis National Nature Reserve,China

The Crested Ibis(Nipponia Nippon) is endemic to Qinling Mountains of China and was once abundant over vast areas of north-east of Asia habitat.During the 20th century,however,the population declined greatly in numbers.Habitat quality used to be the main threat to this species but recent actions by the government and wildlife protection organizations have brought this under control.With the establishment of Crested Ibis Nature Reserve in China,conflicts between socio-economic development and Crested Ibis conservation have become more acute.How do we deal with the relation between Crested Ibis conservation and community development? In this study,the Crested Ibis Nature Reserve co-management model namely "companies + farmers + Nature Reserve" model is proposed and evaluated with demonstration investigation methods,including continuous six-year fixed-site socio-economic development data of surrounding community,company sales revenue data and monitored data of Crested Ibis Nature Reserve.The results show that farmers' income and conservation awareness increased greatly from 2003 to 2008;company sales revenue has increased by about 20% annually in the recent years;management level has noticeably improved in Nature Reserve,the scope of Crested Ibis habitat has expanded 50 hm2;chemical composition of habitat reduced year after year;and the number of Crested Ibis had been growing annually.At the end,the success of the model is evaluated,and problems in implementation of the model are discussed from the following aspects:management system,co-management concept,economic base of partners,marketing mechanism,technical capacity and so on.

Co-management of small-scale fishery in the Tonle Sap Lake,Cambodia

In Cambodia,fishery co-management is an important process to transfer authority and ownership to the communities along the Tonle Sap Lake to manage fishery.This paper aims to determine why the co-management of small-scale fishery has not been implemented satisfactorily in the Tonle Sap Lake of Cambodia.The research was primarily based on a household survey among 404 house-holds for quantitative data,equally divided between the Cham(202 households)and Khmer(202 households).Participatory process was also applied to collect qualitative data from key stake-holders.We found that limited interaction among the involved stakeholders,i.e.,unequal distribution of authority and resources co-management,has impeded implementation.The engagement of fisherfolk was influenced by dependence on fishery,law enforcement,and events organized by the communities.While the Khmer had better opportunities to participate in planning at the provincial and district levels,the Cham were only engaged in local development activities initiated by their people.However,the latter evinced a higher rate of satisfaction due to their access tofishery resources and to a large quantity of fishing gear.In the future,efforts should be made to:(1)improve resource and authority sharing among all key stakeholders;(2)urgently resolve issues pertinent to capacity building,insufficient budgets for commune councils(CoCs)and community fishery(CFi);and(3)urge law enforcement regarding illegal fishing.

Rural Carbon Emissions Based on Community Management

Rural community is an effective way to simultaneously achieve manage- ment of ecological resources and protection of natural resources, depending on its management mode based on cooperation, motivation, local experiences and extensi- ble boundary. In the research, carbon emission in community is a kind of ecological resources and negative externality is the cause of increase of rural carbon emission. Compared with governmental ruling and marketing approach, community manage- ment mode proves more effective to solve the problem of negative externality of carbon emission in community. Furthermore, rural carbon, emission was analyzed in detail on basis of community management mode and extending mode of carbon emis- sion in rural areas. In addition, some policies and suggestions were proposed to im- prove community management of carbon emission in rural areas, providing an ef- fective way for low-carbon economy in rural areas.

Management Philosophy and Practices of Habitat Conservation for Jiuzhaigou Nature Reserve, Sichuan, China

Starting from the pressure on habitat of Jiuzhaigou Nature Reserve broughtabout by traveling activity, this paper puts forward such philosophy of community co-management ofconservation-based tourism development for Jiuzhaigou Nature Reserve. According to this philosophy,emphasis is laid on the analysis of the mission of habitat protection, functional division, habitatmaintenance, community construction, scientific study and management organization system. The studyshows that the close relation and significance of rights and interests shared between nature reserveand residents in community, as well as the value of community co-management philosophy ofconservation-based tourism development in sustainable management of nature reserve, have set anexemplary example for other nature reserves.

A journey towards shared governance: status and prospects for collaborative management in the protected areas of Bangladesh

Establishment of Protected Areas （PAs）, in the face of rapid deforestation, forest degradation and climate change has been one of the key efforts in conservation of biodiversity worldwide in recent times. While Bangladesh has gained a degree of prominence in the world for its successful social forestry programs, the concept of collaborative pro- tected area management is rather new in the country, initiated in 2004 by the Bangladesh Forest Department in five PAs with financial assistance from USAID. Based on empirical evidence from three of the pilot PAs, we examined the achievements and associated challenges and prospects for co-management. Our fieldwork revealed a number of challenges faced by co-management institutions： （1） institutions were dominated by the elite group, overshadowing the voice of the community people; （2） mutual trust and collective performance are key to good governance but had not taken root in the PAs; （3） encroachment onto forest land and subsequent conversion to agriculture remained a serious problem that discouraged forest-dependent people from participating actively in co-management initiatives; （4） legal provisions （including acts, rules and policies） were not clearly and adequately disseminated and understood at the community level; （5） there remained a degree of ambiguity regarding the roles and responsibilities of forest department （FD） and co-management committees （CMC） in field operations, and this was not enhancing transparency and accountability of the overall initiative; （6） the long-term sustainability of co-management institutions was another major concern, as the local intuitional structure was still in a nascent stage, and provisioning of resources （either internally or externally） remained somewhat uncertain. We offer recommendations for improve- ment.

An overview on the protected area system for forest conservation in Bangladesh

A total of 19 protected areas （PAs） have been established in Bangladesh representing all the four forest types of the country. Apart from being the repository of biological diversity, these PAs serve as the source of subsistence livelihoods to the local communities. While all the PAs are managed by the state Forest Department （FD）, with a view to ensure sustainability, a recent approach of co-management has been initiated in five PAs as a pilot project with an aid of development partners incorporating stakeholders＇ participation. Along with demonstrating a number of upbeat impacts, the initiatives exert some constraints which need to be addressed properly to ensure the success of participatory approach and enhance the ongoing conservation scheme. This paper reviews the published works, government and project documents to analyze the present status of PAs and suggest recommendations accordingly.

Impacts of the Benefit Sharing Mechanism(BSM)Policy Implementation on Forest Protection and Sustainable Use of Non-timber Products at Bach Ma National Park

This study aimed to evaluate the impacts of the benefit sharing mechanism(BSM)pilot policy on sustainable use of non-timber forest products(NTFPs)and natural resources conservation in co-management forest of Bach Ma National Park.Evaluation methods were route and permanent plot survey,household interview,in-depth interview,village meeting,group discussion and workshop at commune level.Results showed that:(1)the BSM policy had brought favorable conditions for local people in sustainable use and development of the NTFPs,as well as minimised the threats to biodiversity in co-managed forest;(2)the harvest amounts of seven selected NTFPs after two years of the BSM policy implementation were higher than growth rate of every NTFP and the permitted harvest amounts of the benefit sharing plans(BSP);(3)although there was a risk of over-exploitation of the NTFPs,the annual yields in 2013 and 2014 were much lower,but more sustainable than that before the BSM implementation;(4)the forest protection status in the co-management areas was also better than before.Additionally,this study has also defined and recommended that in order to continue the BSM,it is necessary to ensure the sustainable exploitation of NTFPs,as well as implement more enforcement activities inside the co-management forest area.

Local-Scale Governance： A Review of the Zambian Approach to Fisheries Management

Despite Zambia＇s recent policies for optimizing sustainable management of fisheries, their success has been modest in practice. Artisanal and industrial fleets have led to decline in fish catches in the presence of currently prescribed management possibilities. Among other factors, excessive fishing and unsustainable fishing methods attributed to common property and free access to the resources are key. The country adopted co-management approach to fisheries management in the 1990s with a view to improve the fisheries stocks through community enforcement of fishery management regulations. Neither the success of co-management has been easy to measure nor its results appreciated. In view of overfishing, it is required to continue providing a range of empirical evidence of area-specific co-management interventions as basis for designing realistic and innovative solutions for the nation. This implies that new policies and institutions need to be developed by research to understand fisheries systems and better promote sustainable trajectories. The following review recommendation to central government is a coherent approach that uses and crystallizes the multiple interests and skills of co-management stakeholders. Most stakeholder groups have been involved in an ad hoc fashion through workshops, public meetings and consultative processes mainly organized by Department of Fisheries. Stakeholders should be involved from the design of the process to each step in the process, including the ongoing monitoring and evaluation. A form of memorandum of understanding is suggested. This will formally set out a process that acknowledges each stakeholder＇s interests and provide forums to facilitate discussion, consultation and monitoring of management activities.

Conflict Resolution and Management between Local Fishers and Tour Operators in the Okavango Delta’s Panhandle, Botswana

Conflicts among different fisher groups are a global concern, and the Okavango Delta fishery is no exception, which is composed of commercial, subsistence and recreational fishers. Possibly due to conflicting value/use systems, and ill-defined user rights, there have been documented cases of conflict between commercial and recreational fishers, which may affect livelihoods for local fishers. Therefore, this study’s aim was to identify causes of conflict between these groups and to propose management inventions. Primary data collected in three fishing villages showed that lack of access, misconceptions about each other, and overlapping use were identified as some of the major causes of conflict. Subsequently, this paper proposes a spatial and temporal zoning of fishing grounds as a management tool towards conflict resolution. One proposal is that recreational fishers can utilize the main channel, commercial fishers the floodplains and lagoons, while basket fishers can utilize the fringes of floodplains, lagoons and river channel. Moreover, a co-management regime has also been developed in the fishery, upon which a code of conduct was developed to also reduce conflict in the fishery. It is envisaged that this approach will reduce conflict and create an enabling environment for efficient and sustainable fish utilization in the Delta.

Community participation in the management of wetland nature reserve:a case study of Nanjishan Nature Reserve, Jiangxi, China

In recent years, more and more conflicts have emerged in the management of nature reserves, of which themain problem is that how to carry out the campaign of conservation along with the promotion of development of localeconomics. To resolve the actual problem in Nanjishan National Wetland Nature Reserve and explore the idiographicmethod of the management of the wetland reserve, some studying methods including face-to-face interviews, informaldiscussion with local leaders and officials, group discussion with local fishers, questionnaire, and job of the conversationstation have been carried out. The results show that the education level of the local people is low; only 5% of the localpeople have an opportunity to the junior college; the main income of the local people is fishing, which accounts for 70%more or less; and the income is coming down year by year because of the unreasonable way of fishing. To cope with theproblems, some reformative way of management and the development of the reserve are introduced, such as establishingan NOG that constitutes of local fishermen to achieve the goal of community co-management, developing Bed andBreakfast and so on. Through practice of the management of the participation of the local people, we draw the conclusionthat the local people have a great desire to improve their life level, and to make the co-management of the reserve easy,it is important for the managers to play the role of pilot including engrafting the new ideas, giving some subsidy toencourage the local people to take part in the management. In addition, making local people perceive value of the reserveand the close relation between reserve conservation and the promotion of level of their life. On this basis, they incline totake part in the management of the reserve.

Social Science Tools for Natural Resource Managers

Over the past several decades natural resource issues have become highly controversial, even playing out on the national or international stage. While natural resource science has advanced, the controversy has not gone away. If anything, it has gotten worse. The reality is that natural resource managers need to be as skilled at addressing public concerns as they are with resource science. Fortunately, over the same period the social sciences have produced useful tools that can aid natural resource managers. But resource managers need to know about these tools and be trained in their use. The purpose of this article is to provide an introduction to some of the social science tools or approaches that have proven to reduce political conflict over resource issues. When beginning a major project, resource managers can review this list to see which of these approaches might prevent or mitigate controversy. References are provided for each tool as a starting place for further exploration.

Collective Forest Tenure Reform in Nature Reserves in China:Problems and Countermeasures

Collective forest tenure reform is now carried out throughout China with the aim to clarify the property,increase forest farmers' income and motivate the development of forestry.But the collective forest tenure reform in nature reserves comes to a dilemma.The current implemented laws and regulations provide that forests and trees in nature reserves shall be under strict protection,while the forest farmers hope to improve their livelihood in the reform.The paper discussed the problems encountered in the c...

Identification of waterbody status in Indonesia by using predictive index assessment tool

The relationship between land use and water quality status is complex and likely to be site-specific,and more work is needed for it to be clearly quantified.Theref National Cheng Kung University,No 1 University Road,Tainan 701ore,the main objective of this paper was thus to identify and investigate status of waterbodies(lakes and rivers)by using appropriate predictive index assessment tool coupled with the offered Adaptive Co-Management(ACM)methodology towards sustainability of water quality and ecology in Indonesia.We then present a comprehensive assessment as baseline information to describe the existing condition of waterbody status in study area.The results indicated that the basic requirements of predictive index assessment tool,expressed as indicator:criteria and attributes,are use-specific or targeted to the protection of the watershed and waterbodies uses among a number of land use policies.In some situations,even stricter requirements and policies are necessary to achieve sustainability of water quality and ecology in Indonesia.

Indigenous knowledge as data for modern fishery management:a case study of Dungeness crab in Pacific Canada

Introduction:F isheries management is often data-limited,and conducted at spatial scales that are too large to address the needs of Indigenous peoples,whose cultures depend upon the local availability of marine resources.Outcomes:We combined Indigenous ecological knowledge with simulation modelling to inform modern fishery management.Semi-structured interviews with Indigenous fishers in coastal British Columbia,Canada,uncovered severe declines in the abundance and catches of Dungeness crab(Cancer magister)since the 1990s.We modelled the current probability of"successful"crab harvesting trips-as defined by expectations from past catches by Indigenous fishers-using fishery-independent data from nine sites.These probabilities were very low(<20%)for all sites except one.Discussion:Our study highlights that local depletions,which Indigenous fishers attribute to commercial and recreational fisheries,have been widespread and undetected by federal managers who manage Dungeness crab at regional scales without fishery-independent data.Further,local depletions impacted the ability of Indigenous fishers to access traditional foods.Conclusion:Integrating Indigenous knowledge with scientific research is crucial to inform locally-relevant fisheries management and conservation.