Protected Area Governance and Equity

1
Protected Area Governance and Equity

• Lea M. Scherl
• Ashish Kothari

2
Why Link Conservation with Equity Concerns?

• Ethical reasons
• Practical reasons

3
Ethical Reasons

• The principles of at least do no harm and
  respect for human rights must be observed
• The establishment and management of conservation
  initiatives must attempt to contribute to the
  livelihoods of local, indigenous communities and
  should not exacerbate poverty

4
Practical Reasons 

• Protected Areas, corridors, and other
  conservation efforts are not islands they exist
  within a social, cultural and economic context
  with national and international influences
• It has been demonstrated that the fortress
  approach does not work
• Protected Areas, corridors, other conservation
  efforts and poverty co-exists predominantly in
  rural areas need to find approaches to deal
  with this co-existance

5
What is interesting and new about governance of
protected areas?

• Quality
• Type

6
Quality principles of good governance
developed by the UN agencies and highlighted at
the World Parks Congress and beyond

• Respect of human rights
• Legitimacy and Voice
• Subsidiarity
• Performance
• Fairness/equity
• Direction
• Accountability

7
Type different types of protected areas
governance recognised at the World Parks
Congress and beyond

• who holds PA management authority and
  responsibility and is held accountable for
  decisions?

• Government Managed PAs
• Co-managed PAs
• (i.e. multi-stakeholder management)
• Privately Managed PAs
• Community Conserved Areas

8
Does more participatory governance leads to
greater equity?

• Some times yes, others not
• (between community and other stakeholders and
  within communities themselves)

9
Examples

• Within this meeting many success stories on the
  benefits of improved participatory governance
• (Lunch-time presentations highlighted a number of
  issues there is no blueprint)
• Kenya eg. elite capture within CCAs
• Phillipines Extremely high transaction cost of
  co-management
• Peru Co-management not always translate into
  benefits at the local level

10
How can the CBD bring a stronger equity
perspective toNational Policy frameworks on PAs
Governance?