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Understanding community support towards three marine protected areas in the Visayas region of the Philippines

Community support towards Natural Resource Management (NRM) strategies is thought to be crucial for their success and sustainability. This study considers the case of community based Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in the Philippines where, despite their proliferation many are failing to achieve their objectives. The lack of acceptance and support from the adjacent community is thought to lead to these “failures” of MPAs. Very little work however has been carried out to understand support towards MPAs and what influences it. I define support as the combination of attitudes and relevant environmental action undertaken with regards to the already implemented MPA. This thesis seeks to understand “community support” by determining: 1. What factors influence attitudes towards MPAs? 2. What factors influence actions towards MPAs? 3. What is the relationship between attitudes towards the MPA and MPA related actions? I combine both quantitative and qualitative research methods to help determine which factors are associated with community support but also to help explain how these factors influence support. Fisher questionnaires, Semi Structured Interviews, In depth interviews and Focus Groups were carried out at three different villages with adjacent MPAs within the Visayas region of the Philippines. A number of MPA design and MPA management factors as well as individual feelings, emotions and socio-economic characteristics were found to influence support through a multitude of ways. The plurality of factors identified, their interconnectedness and the way their impacts on support varies through time and between individuals within a community makes it clear there is no simple solution as to which set of factors are necessary for prolonged support. Nevertheless we now have a clearer idea as to how best to design, manage and implement an MPA in a way that is supported by the adjacent community.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:601042
Date January 2013
CreatorsChaigneau, Tomas
PublisherUniversity of East Anglia
Source SetsEthos UK
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeElectronic Thesis or Dissertation
Sourcehttps://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/48083/

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