Skip to main content
Login | Suomeksi | På svenska | In English

Local agency, involvement and initiative in biodiversity conservation in Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar

Show simple item record

dc.date.accessioned 2015-09-07T12:11:44Z und
dc.date.accessioned 2017-10-24T12:15:28Z
dc.date.available 2015-09-07T12:11:44Z und
dc.date.available 2017-10-24T12:15:28Z
dc.date.issued 2015-09-07T12:11:44Z
dc.identifier.uri http://radr.hulib.helsinki.fi/handle/10138.1/5002 und
dc.identifier.uri http://hdl.handle.net/10138.1/5002
dc.title Local agency, involvement and initiative in biodiversity conservation in Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar en
ethesis.discipline Regional Studies en
ethesis.discipline Aluetiede fi
ethesis.discipline Regionvetenskap sv
ethesis.discipline.URI http://data.hulib.helsinki.fi/id/E14e9eed-a08b-4a09-99e1-232003ef28ab
ethesis.department.URI http://data.hulib.helsinki.fi/id/3d45b9d6-7f3a-4008-a01f-6f27f2263ec4
ethesis.department Institutionen för geovetenskaper och geografi sv
ethesis.department Department of Geosciences and Geography en
ethesis.department Geotieteiden ja maantieteen laitos fi
ethesis.faculty Matematisk-naturvetenskapliga fakulteten sv
ethesis.faculty Matemaattis-luonnontieteellinen tiedekunta fi
ethesis.faculty Faculty of Science en
ethesis.faculty.URI http://data.hulib.helsinki.fi/id/8d59209f-6614-4edd-9744-1ebdaf1d13ca
ethesis.university.URI http://data.hulib.helsinki.fi/id/50ae46d8-7ba9-4821-877c-c994c78b0d97
ethesis.university Helsingfors universitet sv
ethesis.university University of Helsinki en
ethesis.university Helsingin yliopisto fi
dct.creator Vuola, Marketta
dct.issued 2015
dct.language.ISO639-2 eng
dct.abstract Biodiversity conservation, as human activity, is inherently political. Attempts to preserve species and habitats with strict Protected Areas in the Global South often take place in already inhabited regions. Conservation has been often externally imposed on the local, rural communities, resulting in deprivation of their livelihoods and breaking up of their natural resources management traditions, but also in local opposition that threatens conservation outcomes. However, as rural livelihoods depend directly from their surrounding ecosystems, rural communities and conservation planners are argued to have substantial common interests. This study tries to understand the relationship between local communities and conservation authorities in order to create knowledge on how they could form partnerships and work together for natural resources management. This case study took place is Ranomafana National Park in South-Eastern Madagascar where several villages were visited in order to gain knowledge of conservation from the point of view of local communities. The case study follows ethnographic approach using qualitative, semi-structured interviews as the principal method of data collection. Employing a political ecology approach and looking at the institutional arrangements guiding conservation at the local, national and global levels and across formal and informal spheres, this study looks at the power relations in the current forms of co-management and the social impacts they have at the local level. Finally it tries to find out if any form of partnership is formed; if local people are able and willing to manage their natural resources in cooperation with conservation authorities. Although conservation has significant negative impacts on local livelihoods in Ranomafana region, in practice community participation to decision-making is very limited and the local people find it hard to get their voice heard. The results of the case study indicate that the main obstacle for co-management is the failure to respect the rights of local communities to equitable treatment, to recognition as stakeholders, and to participation in decision-making. The feeling of being disrespected creates resentment and mistrust towards conservation authorities. In these circumstances, economic incentives offered do not support community empowerment but rather create dependence from external help. Co-management activities can also enforce the existing inequalities at the local level if only the more powerful segments of communities are included. The case study also shows that local communities are important actors in conservation, able to challenge it – or support it if they view the rules as legitimate – but the actual community self-organising for conservation requires at least some authority over their surrounding ecosystem. en
dct.language en
ethesis.language.URI http://data.hulib.helsinki.fi/id/languages/eng
ethesis.language English en
ethesis.language englanti fi
ethesis.language engelska sv
ethesis.thesistype pro gradu-avhandlingar sv
ethesis.thesistype pro gradu -tutkielmat fi
ethesis.thesistype master's thesis en
ethesis.thesistype.URI http://data.hulib.helsinki.fi/id/thesistypes/mastersthesis
dct.identifier.urn URN:NBN:fi-fe2017112251686
dc.type.dcmitype Text

Files in this item

Files Size Format View
Masters Thesis Vuola.pdf 1.223Mb PDF

This item appears in the following Collection(s)

Show simple item record