Park Authority Research Articles

Does Living in a Protected Area Reduce Resource Use and Promote Life Satisfaction? Survey Results from and Around Three Regional Nature Parks in Switzerland

Regional nature parks in Switzerland are, for the most part, protected areas that aim to promote sustainable development and residents’ well-being. In recent years, research on regional nature parks and comparable protected areas has focused on questions regarding local populations’ acceptance of such areas, their governance, and their economic effects. However, we know surprisingly little about the impact of protected areas on environmental resource use and life satisfaction, two essential ingredients of sustainable regional development. In this study, we survey people living in and around three regional nature parks in Switzerland on their resource use and life satisfaction (gross sample n = 3358). We propose a novel measurement of resource use based on vignettes describing different lifestyles, which we validate against the carbon footprint obtained for a subsample of our respondents. With these indicators, using multiple regression analyses, we test several hypotheses derived from the literature on the relationship between resource use and life satisfaction in and around protected areas. Contrary to our expectations, we do not find differences in resource use or life satisfaction, or the relationship between resource use and life satisfaction, across park and non-park regions. We discuss potential explanations for our findings and their implications for nature park authorities and future study designs.

Domestic Tourism Strategies and its Implications on Economic Growth: Case Study of Rwandan National Parks

Domestic tourism is a critical part of tourism development in Rwanda. However, most of the government’s efforts have been concentrated on the development of international tourism. This focus has resulted in considerable growth in the country’s most significant contributor to the national economy. While the impact of domestic tourism has been addressed in the latest developed Rwanda’s National Tourism Strategy, the initiatives set forward have had minimal effects. This paper aimed to address the issue of an increased focus on domestic tourism contribution in developing the economy of Rwanda besides international tourism. The rationale for this paper supports a strong motivation for a more dedicated approach by Rwanda’s tourism stakeholders (public and private) to develop the country’s domestic tourism market alongside the international market with reference to the national parks of Rwanda. The population under this study was composed of three different groups of respondents at three national parks in Rwanda. These were local residents living adjacent to the three national parks under study; the park authorities and government officials (policymakers) in tourism and conservation-related matters, and tourism and conservation experts. The researcher developed a structured questionnaire that was administered to the selected respondents. The administration of the questionnaire was done by the researcher with the help of three research assistants. The researcher used descriptive analysis to analyse the data. The data collected using the open-ended questions were analysed using content analysis. The study established that domestic tourism is yet to be developed in Rwanda. The study also reported that domestic tourism has the potential of leading to significant economic development by supplementing revenue generated by foreign tourists

Promotion of Biodiversity Conservation and Local Livelihoods in Buxa Tiger Reserve: Challenges and Opportunities

The present paper attempts to outline the emerging twin challenges of biodiversity conservation and the promotion of local livelihood opportunities for local people residing in and around the Buxa Tiger Reserve (BTR) in the Indian State of West Bengal. The study is based on a comprehensive review of the existing literature, secondary data collected from various government reports, and interaction with local forest dwellers in and around the nature park. The study finds that although the Buxa Tiger Reserve houses some of the critically threatened species, both flora and fauna, it is under severe pressure from both natural and anthropogenic factors. The natural factors that are threatening the nature park include climate change-induced water scarcity, frequent droughts and erratic rainfall. This has also brought about livelihood insecurity among local inhabitants, which has resulted in human-wildlife conflicts, illegal and rampant wildlife poaching, fragmented landscapes due to encroachment, deforestation, forest fire, the conflict between the forest department and local people, and others. Hence, sustainable use and management of park resources require both effective conservation measures and local livelihood strategies. Efforts should be made for adopting participatory biodiversity conservation strategies in which both park authority and local people work collectively towards achieving desired conservation and livelihood outcomes.

An equilibrium approach towards sustainable operation of a modern coal chemical industrial park

The problem of high water consumption and pollution emission of modern coal chemical industry have received widespread attention in recent years. However, while protecting the environment, the economic interests of coal chemical enterprises also need to be guaranteed. To address this challenge, this paper proposes an equilibrium strategy based on a bi-level multi-objectives model to assist decision-makers in coal chemical industrial parks in making plans for infrastructure investment, wastewater discharge load allocation, and production activities while balancing economic benefits, ecological protection, and energy efficiency promotion. The decision framework describes the hierarchical relationship between the park authority and individual coal chemical companies, and coordinates the conflicts between their different goals. Then, a real case study of Yushen coal chemical industrial park in Shaanxi province, China is presented using a hybrid algorithm named “particle swarm optimization - non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm - II (PSO-NSGA-II)” to solve multi-objectives programming. The research further discusses the final solutions under different preferences of decision-makers with the Subtractive clustering - Multi-criteria tournament decision - Gain analysis method (SC-MTD-GAM), and also compares the results of a single-objective optimization model and multi-objective programming. The results show that the equilibrium strategy of this research can provide a satisfactory consequence for coal chemical industrial parks in terms of integrative management involving the economy, environment and efficiency. Finally, based on a comprehensive discussion, management suggestions are given to help the related decision/policy-makers to develop sustainable management mechanisms.

Characteristics of attached visitors in ecotourism destination

Place attachment is often used to understand visitors' characteristics and behaviors to assist in managing sensitive tourism destinations such as protected areas. This study segmented visitors by using place attachment as a segmentation basis at Penang National Park (PNP). K-means cluster analysis was used to segment the 387 respondents at PNP into three namely high, medium, and low attachment groups. The Chi-square test with Bonferroni adjusted p-value and ANOVA with Scheffe's post hoc test was used to determine the characteristics of each group according to their travel behavior and motivation to visit PNP. The results revealed that the high attachment group comprised 23.3% of the respondents. These respondents were mainly repeated visitors who visited Pantai Kerachut and were involved in nature-related activities. Their motivation to visit centered on the benefits of the settings such as to be close to nature, physically relax, reduce built-up tensions, and experience PNP while visiting the park. In contrast, the medium and low attachment groups comprised 50.4% and 26.3% of the respondents, respectively. Most of them were first-time visitors, traveled with friends and family, and visited attractions such as Teluk Aling, Teluk Duyung, Sungai Tukun, and Pasir Pandak. Their main activities were hiking and picnicking. They were motivated to visit PNP for the benefits gained from the activities, such as to do activities with family and group as well as being creative. In addition, they were pulled by the motivation to visit PNP because the park was a good place for their preferred outdoor activities, and to spend time with their companions at the park. These findings provided vital information for managers and park authorities in designing targeted programs and activities for most segments to reduce depreciative visitors' behavior at PNP. The findings from this research have several management implications. The analysis revealed that visitors with different levels of attachment differed based on their travel characteristics such as travel party, number of visits, main destinations, and main destinations in an ecotourism destination. They were also motivated by different visit motivations and setting motivations. In this study, visitors in the medium attachment group visited mainly for the pursuit of outdoor activity, while the low attachment group visited primarily for social bonding. Thus, ecotourism destinations could develop activities in congruence with these groups' preferences to enhance their recreational experiences at the destination. A strong attachment to the destination can nurture pro-environmental actions. Based on the study, the respondents in the high attachment group were nature-engagement-centric, while the less attached groups were activity-centric. Thus, the attachment of the less attached groups can be encouraged by adding environmental values to the activities that appeal to these groups of visitors. Information can assist park authorities in dealing with visitor risk management. Research has shown that a strong attachment to a place correlates negatively with the perception of risks. High attachment visitors tend to neglect or deny the potential hazard that might occur at the place they visit.

Spatial modeling of road collisions of striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena) in Israel

AbstractThe striped hyena is an enigmatic species that is little studied. It is mainly found in semiarid and arid regions and is described as elusive, cryptic, nocturnal, and solitary. The global distribution is disjunct, and the species suffers from human persecution. However, specific communities consider them to be commensals. Owing to their scavenging behavior, striped hyenas are disproportionately involved in vehicular‐wildlife incidents, most of which are fatal. By combining data collected by the Scientific Data Department of the Israel Nature Parks Authority with information from remote sensing imaging, we illustrate the distribution of the striped hyena, identify critical habitats in which they occur, and illustrate the zones with the highest conflicts in the whole of Israel and the West Bank. The scale of striped hyena mortality (44.3/year) suggests that populations are much higher than previous estimates. We found more striped hyena carcasses on road/highway networks and urban areas than in natural surroundings. Our results should help focus the efforts to mitigate wildlife road kills by implementing conservation measures in urban areas and inter‐city highways, with a stress on striped hyena mortality.

The threat of COVID-19 to the conservation of Tanzanian national parks

In many low-income countries, the conservation of natural resources in protected areas relies on tourism revenue. However, tourist numbers in Africa were severely reduced by the COVID-19 pandemic, thus, putting the conservation of these important protected areas at risk. We use records from gate passings at national parks across Tanzania to demonstrate the immediate and severe impact on tourist numbers and revenues resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and associated restrictions, and whether international and local (East African) tourists were affected equally. We discuss mechanisms that may reduce future negative impacts of sudden loss of revenue from international tourism, such as increasing the revenue portfolio and thereby decrease the dependency on revenues from international tourists. More important, we encourage local governments, national park authorities, and the world community to further develop and initiate external funding options to reduce the dependency on income from international nature-based tourism to preserve national parks and biodiversity. An additional long-term goal for ensuring sustained conservation would be to increase benefits to local communities adjacent to national parks, encouraging local involvement and thereby reducing the dependence on external funding in the future.

Impact of outreach programmes on the relationship between local people and parks. Perceptions of communities near Tarangire National Park, Tanzania

Understanding the impact of outreach programmes on local people and parks is vital for long-term park protection, especially in developing countries. This study assessed how community outreach programmes (COPs) can strengthen relationships between local people and Tarangire National Park (TNP). A questionnaire survey of 200 households from 4 villages (n = 50 households for each village) was used for data collection. The study results show that people with formal education were happier about activities initiated by COPs and were more likely to be willing to report poachers to park management. Furthermore, middle-aged and older people in the study area were happier on various activities initiated by COPs than young people. Seventy-eight percent (n = 156) of the respondents were happy with the conservation activities initiated by the Community Outreach Programmes. In addition, nearly half of the respondents (49%, n = 98) said they would report poachers to the park authority. When local people are happy about different activities related to conservation, they are more likely to be good custodians of nature and even more willing to report poachers to park management. Therefore, to enhance mutual cooperation between parks and local communities, people surrounding protected areas in different parts of the world should be actively involved in different conservation activities.

Contesting identity through the market: Tourism and indigenous movement in Kasepuhan Ciptagelar, West Java

This study identifies the interplay between the engagement of Kasepuhan Ciptagelar, an indigenous community inhabiting the state forest in West Java, and tourism development in the area. Practising local spirituality rooted in an indigenous belief, tatali paranti karuhun, while administratively accepting Islam, the people have been struggling to deal with the nearby majority Sundanese who practices Islam and the establishment of the national park covering their living space. The study considers whether a minority group living in an area endowed with both natural and cultural tourism resources consciously chooses tourism as a selected ground to deal with policies which neglect them in terms of religious practices and land policy. Employing the ethnographic method, the study reveals that contesting identity in tourism also means the readiness to accommodate various outside elements. However, the strategy has led the Halimun Salak National Park authority to declare the area as a “special status area” for cultural tourism inside the state park since 2017. The study findings show that after engaging with tourism, various rituals and art performances rooted in the old Sundanese spirituality, which is not officially recognized by the state, can be freely performed for the sake of tourists. In this case, the community is not passive in dealing with external forces but has also enabled its own silent productivity, including its varying consequences.

Population trends of striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena) in Israel for the past five decades

The striped hyena (Hyaena hyaena) is considered “Near Threatened” globally and “Vulnerable” in the Middle East. In Israel, the species has experienced extreme population fluctuations owing to poisoning campaigns during the British Mandate (1918–1948) which were also further exacerbated by the Israeli authorities in the mid-twentieth century. We collated data from the archives of the Israel Nature and Parks Authority for the past 47 years to elucidate the temporal and geographic trends of this species. During this period we found a 68% increase in population and the estimated density is at present 2.1 individuals/100km2. This is significantly higher than all previous estimates for Israel. It appears that the major factors contributing to their phenomenal increase in number are the increase in prey availability because of the intensification of human development, preying on Bedouin livestock, the extinction of the leopard (Panthera pardus nimr), and the hunting of wild boars (Sus scorfa) and other agricultural pests in some parts of the country. Reasons should also be sought in increasing people's awareness as well as in advanced technological capabilities that have allowed an improved observation and reporting system. Future studies need to understand the effects of the large concentrations of striped hyenas on the spatial distribution and temporal activity of other sympatric wildlife to ensure the continued persistence of the wildlife guilds in the Israeli nature.

A lifetime track of a griffon vulture: The moving story of Rehovot (Y64).

A lifetime track of a griffon vulture: The moving story of Rehovot (Y64).

Managing parking with progressive pricing

Parking supply and demand are often imbalanced in urban areas, causing adverse consequences such as excessive search times and long walking distances. Many parking authorities price parking as a demand management strategy by charging either a fixed daily fee or an hourly price for parking. An emerging alternative is progressive pricing, whereby drivers pay an hourly price that increases if their tracked parking duration is longer than a predetermined threshold. This study investigates the optimal design of progressive pricing for revenue and social welfare maximization when there are two market segments. We study equilibrium properties of progressive pricing and show that its optimal design for revenue maximization segmentizes the demand. In contrast, progressive pricing does not improve social welfare over hourly pricing, because any additional surplus accrued by drivers is offset by the revenue of the parking authority. We develop a micro-simulation model of the City of Toronto’s downtown core with parking capability, and show that progressive pricing lowers average parking occupancy and search time in high demand parking clusters by 5.6% and 12.5%, respectively, compared to hourly pricing.

Integrating payment for ecosystem services in protected areas governance: The case of the Po Delta Park

The effective inclusion of Ecosystem Services (ES) in the governance of Protected Areas (PAs) is a key challenge for future environmental governance. In this sense, Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) have been conceived as instruments to internalize costs of environmental management and establish a consequential link between ES users and providers. Thus, while there is a current pressingly need for genuine PES mechanisms, in very rare cases it has been possible to satisfy this requirement. This paves the way for the study of alternative methods, such as PES-like schemes, which may be already in practice in PAs.In order to support and discuss the feasibility of this approach, we present four successful PES-like schemes currently working in the Po River delta Park of the Emilia-Romagna region (Northern Italy). They involve traditional activities, as hunting, fishing, mushroom and truffle (M&T) picking and cultural services, coherent with the UNESCO Man and Biosphere declaration.With the aim of using the peculiar case of the Po Delta Park as a study model, we studied services with direct market value that cover a variety of strategy cases and positive side effects typically observed in genuine PES schemes. The Park authority is a crucial actor with different roles: i) regulator/intermediator in the context of a “command” strategy (for hunting and M&T) and in a public–private partnership (for cultural services) and ii) provider in a trade context (for fishing).Although not originally conceived under the vision of an ES approach, these practices, developed as endogenous processes, were effective in supporting conservation and ES provision. While not accounting for regulating services, PES-like schemes constitute practical evidence of broad interest concerning the role of existing, yet overlooked, mechanisms involving important ES, which could be reframed within the terminology of PES to strengthen their functioning and strategic value.

Conflict or coexistence? Synergies between nature conservation and traditional tea industry development in Wuyishan National Park, China

Traditional agricultural industries in protected areas (PAs) provide opportunities for both nature conservation and the wellbeing of local residents. However, knowledge about the synergies between nature conservation and traditional agricultural industries is still limited. This research takes the traditional tea industry in Wuyishan National Park as a case to identify and examine the synergistic mechanism between forest conservation and industrial development, why traditional agricultural industries are necessary to the regional economy, and how they secure local livelihoods as well as achieve conservation goals. We conducted literature research and semi-structured interviews with Wuyishan National Park Authority, local government administrations, enterprises and small-scale farmers. The results were obtained through a two-stage mixed method of grounded theory and system dynamics. The findings revealed that: (1) Traditional agricultural industries in PAs were resilient and adaptable in the face of external changes, in which traditional culture and ecological awareness played an important role. (2) Small-scale agri-industries were vulnerable to external shocks, but they also have advantages in terms of moderate agglomeration and standardization, risk perception and response, and market-based diversification of production. (3) The synergetic process of traditional agricultural industries and conservation is mainstreaming biodiversity by cooperation among the government, the park agency, and local people. Thus, we suggested that the local government should work together with the PA management agencies to re-evaluate the existence of traditional agricultural industries for their necessity in the regional economy and the feasibility of improving local livelihoods.

Opinion of Stakeholders on the Management of Ecotourism in the Benue National Park of the North Region of Cameroon

Local communities living around protected areas stand high chance of benefiting from economic development and livelihood improvement through ecotourism if well planned. The objective of this study was to contribute to the understanding of stakeholders’ opinions on the valorization of ecotourism in order to propose alternative sustainable strategies. The study used a research method based on purposive sampling. Semi-structured questionnaires were administered to 125 household heads and 10 stakeholders were also interviewed with a question guide. The results were inputted into a student statistical package (SPSS) version 16. The results were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Chi-square was used to compare means. The results revealed that the test of dependence (Chi2) between the variables showed a significant difference at (p < 0.05). 51.9% of the respondent in ZIC 5 said that ecotourism has increased employment while respondents in the other sectors (ZIC 1, 4 and 9) who make up 76% of the respondents said ecotourism-related jobs in the park are seasonal and not frequent. Regarding the dependence of local communities on the park’s resources, 25% of ZIC 5 is highly dependent on the park, whereas, in the other sectors, only 18% are dependent on the park for their household income. This result is explained by the inaccessibility of local communities to the parks. The results of the impacts of ecotourism on the livelihoods of communities in localities reflect a general feeling of dissatisfaction with 88.8% of respondents manifesting their dissatisfaction with park authorities. Thus, 87.2% of respondents think that ecotourism does not bring significant economic benefits to the host communities. If ecotourism was planned, the benefits that accrue from activity could boost the economy of the area and support the conservation of the park, which so far remains insignificant. However, the strategy for enhancing ecotourism should be a participatory approach.

Mortality of an apex predator, the eagle owl bubo bubo, in Israel 2007–2021

Anthropogenic structures and installations in wild areas are known to directly and indirectly affect wildlife populations, especially apex predators such as Eagle Owls (Bubo bubo). To understand the situation at the national level we analyzed data collected by the Scientific Data Department of the Israel Nature and Parks Authority and the wildlife hospital at the Safari in Ramat Gan. We analyzed a total of 189 dead Eagle Owls during fifteen years, 2007–2021; 39.7% were electrocuted, 29.2% roadkill, 12.7% flew into fences/barbed wire, 3.8% drowned, and 14.9% died from other causes. The largest mortality of the Eagle Owls was detected in agricultural (34.92 %) and urban areas (31.74%). Also, the pylons identified as lethal should be prioritized and modified with appropriate insulators. Only a sincere effort on the part of the authorities will the continued electrocution of eagle owls and other avian wildlife be truncated.

Land use land cover change in and around Chebera Churchura National Park, Southwestern Ethiopia: implications for management effectiveness

BackgroundLand use-land cover change (LULCC) resulting from anthropogenic activities has been one of the major causes of loss of biodiversity globally. Thus, understanding the dynamics of such LULCC, especially within protected areas, is important to assess their past-present management effectiveness, identify the driving forces and assist future implementation of mitigation measures. The objectives of this study, based on satellite images analysis, were to examine and describe patterns of LULCC within and in the buffer zone area of Chebera Churchura National Park, SW Ethiopia, at five points in time (1985, 1991, 2000, 2010, and 2020); and to examine management effectiveness of the park authority in slowing down the rate of LULCCs after the establishment of the park.ResultsResults showed that different land cover types exhibited varying patterns of change over the last 35 years. However, major differences were detected between the park area boundary and its buffer zone area after establishment of the park. From the year 1991 to 2000 (before the establishment), grassland declined by 52.9% (120.55km2) and 58.9% (151.9km2) within the park boundary and its buffer zone, respectively. After the establishment, grassland continued to decline only in the buffer zone. Similarly, agricultural land declined by 13.2% (2.7 km2) within the park but expanded by 5.4% (3.1 km2) in the buffer zone prior to park establishment. However, after establishment of the park, agricultural land in the buffer zone increased by 99.4% (99.7 km2). Grassland and wooded grassland had the opposite trend within the park area before vs after the establishment of the park.ConclusionsResults of the present study showed that striking differences in the rates of LULCCs within the park area and its buffer zone after establishment of the park, with the implication that the management is effective in slowing down LULCC relative to that in the buffer zone areas. In sum, this study would serve as a showcase on cost-effective means to assess human impacts on biodiversity in protected areas due to policy changes. Findings of the study would serve as a bench mark to evaluate future management effectives of the park authority.

The Right to Play: Snakes and Ladders

This case-study will present learnings from the public art project ‘Snakes and Ladders’, a fifty metre, ground plane mural in Sydney Olympic Park, in Sydney’s western suburbs. This was a collaboration between Digby Webster, an artist with Down syndrome, and Nadia Odlum, an artist without disability who specialises in playful, large-scale public art. Snakes and Ladders was commissioned by the Sydney Olympic Parks Authority (SOPA) as a result of a community consultation and co-design process, and was supported by Accessible Arts, the peak body for advancing the rights of New South Wales artists who have disability and/or who are d/Deaf. The result was a public artwork that functions as an inclusive playspace, supporting the right to play for all people who visit or live in Sydney Olympic Park.The key achievements of this project were the meaningful inclusion of an artist with disability in a significant public art project, and the creation of an accessible and inclusive opportunity for play in public space. This case-study focuses on process, including the community consultation process that led to the commission; the role of peak body Accessible Arts in facilitating and guiding the commission; the methods used to ensure accessibility in the artwork design; and the collaborative process between Digby and Nadia, including the steps taken to support Digby’s access requirements and ensure his full participation in the commission from concept to delivery.&#x0D; &#x0D; Read the full article in accessible html-format here.

Trends in elephant poaching in the Mid‐Zambezi Valley, Zimbabwe: Lessons learnt and future outlook

Trends in elephant poaching in the <scp>Mid‐Zambezi</scp> Valley, Zimbabwe: Lessons learnt and future outlook

Storying wild landscapes: Multimodal interactions with digital app-based heritage

ABSTRACT Digital interpretation in wild and remote landscapes is hugely challenging, yet offers enormous potential for widening access to heritage in these settings. We provide a critical evaluation of the Walking with Romans app, developed by the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority, to interpret two Scheduled Ancient Monuments: Y Pigwn Roman marching camp and Waun Ddu Fortlet (c. AD78). Analysis of digital interpretation has paid less attention to social and multimodal interactions, the spatial experience of digital technologies, and the challenges of achieving successful visits at remote sites. We explore how visitor talk responds to interpretive content while also accomplishing everyday social interactions, such as demonstrating togetherness, by analysing video footage from visits. We find that visitors do a considerable amount of shared work to interpret archaeological features, including the use of talk and other multimodal resources of embodied conduct and the app itself. Visitors demonstrate that terrain underfoot is an important resource for interpreting features and remembering earlier interpretive content. Heritage interpreters could consider how everyday sociability and subtle responses to landscape and terrain are woven into the experience of interpreting landscapes to enhance visitors’ experiences of outdoor heritage sites.