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Protected areas, people and incentives in the search for sustainable forest conservation in Honduras

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 October 2009

Michael Richards
Michael Richards*
Affiliation:
Forestry Programme, Overseas Development Institute, Regents College, Regents Park, London NW1 4NS, UK
*
* Dr Michael Richards Tel: +44 171 487 7578 Fax: +44 171 487 7590 e-mail: [email protected]
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Summary

Attitudes and incentives of people living around protected areas are widely considered to constrain successful management of these areas. Two contrasting protected areas in Honduras, a Biosphere Reserve of high biodiversity rainforest, and a cloud forest providing essential environmental services to the capital city, are analyzed in terms of their management problems and the strategies used for their protection. The response at the national level to the issues raised in these case studies is then assessed, focusing on the impact of government policies, legal changes affecting land tenure and use, and the role of state institutions in protected area management. The case studies indicate that while the non-government organizations (NGOs) have tried to promote a more participatory approach to conservation (with mixed success), the Honduras Government has tried to follow a more regulatory approach but without the resources and political will to implement it effectively. Opportunities have been missed to provide positive incentives for protection, for example in the area of eco-tourism and community-based natural forest management in situations where this would appear to be a viable option. The participatory approach has also been complicated by policies and land legislation which have sent out negative or ambiguous signals to local communities. Above all the case studies show how critical local attitudes are to the achievement of conservation objectives, and demonstrate the need for positive economic incentives that link development with conservation in buffer zones and surrounding areas.

Keywords

deforestationprotectionHondurasincentivespolicies
Type
Papers
Information
Environmental Conservation , Volume 23 , Issue 3 , September 1996 , pp. 207 - 217
Copyright
Copyright © Foundation for Environmental Conservation 1996

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