Factors Influencing Communities’ Attitudes and Participation in Protected Area Conservation: A Case Study from Northern Myanmar

Abstract

Understanding the interest of local communities and ensuring their support in conservation are pivotal to the sustainability of Protected Areas (PAs). In this study, we interviewed 230 households surrounding the Indawgyi Wildlife Sanctuary (IWS) and assessed community attitudes and conservation involvement against socio-economic background, benefits and costs from the Protected Area (PA), and knowledge. Additionally, we tested how communities’ attitudes toward the PA reflect their actual involvement in PA conservation. Results showed that majority of respondents have positive attitudes toward the IWS and good relationship with its staff. Benefits and costs from the PA were the main influencers of attitudes. Furthermore, findings indicated that 43.9% of respondents were engaged in PA conservation programs and their involvement was mainly determined by benefits gained from the PA. Despite overall positive attitudes, a low level of participation highlighted that attitudes were not strong enough to change into conservation-friendly behaviors. Therefore, a collaborative conservation and sharing more benefits with local communities are important when developing future PA management strategies.