Reinventing protected area management: from curing to preventing

Abstract

Traditionally, forest degradation (deforestation, erosion) has been viewed in terms of what is happening and treating the symptoms (reforestation, soil conservation). The classical method of preserving a natural area has always been to declare it off-limits and to enforce exclusion. Boundaries were delineated and guards patrolled. Unsurprisingly, this often resulted in conflicts of interest and hostility between the enforcement agency and the local communities