Mangroves in transition. Management of community spaces affected by conservation and tourism in Mexico

Abstract

One of the aims of the Convention on Biological Diversity is to increase terrestrial and marine protected areas by 15 and 23%, respectively, by 2030. However, since indigenous and local communities manage 37% of remaining unprotected natural areas, domestic policies must adequately address the socioenvironmental context of these territories. If not, the progress proposed by the Convention could result in human rights violations and conflicts in poorly managed Protected Areas. To assess this situation, we analyze Mexican mangroves in communal areas influenced by conservation and tourism. Conservation stakeholders value these ecosystems highly for their biodiversity, productivity, and environmental services, but these features are affected by local extractive practices and a tourism sector interested in developing them or transforming them into areas for nature-based tourism. We analyze eight case studies conducted between 2008 and 2019 to compare the conservation policies and socioenvironmental dynamics developed by the tourism sector. This comparative study led us to develop a conceptual model composed of three socioenvironmental stages. Each one relates mangrove conservation to productive activities, regulations, actors, social organization, conflicts, and development challenges. The analysis enhances our understanding of the influence of government policies on socioenvironmental relations and offers recommendations for conservation practices. Managers and policy-makers can use the model to infer the implications of implementing development or conservation policies in distinct socioenvironmental scenarios.