Community attitudes toward three protected areas in Upper Myanmar (Burma)

Abstract

An effective protected area system is essential for the long-term conservation of Myanmar's biodiversity. This study examined the attitudes of 2915 residents in 97 communities around three protected areas (PAs) in upper Myanmar: Alaungdaw Kathapa National Park in the western mountains, Htamanthi Wildlife Sanctuary in the hills bordering the Chindwin and Uru rivers, and Chatthin Wildlife Sanctuary in the central dry zone. Logistic regression indicated a positive attitude toward the PAs was most highly correlated with a perception of conservation benefits and benefits resulting from management of the areas. Attitude was also significantly correlated with a perception of extraction benefits, conflicts with PA staff and crop damage by wildlife. Socioeconomic variables were less powerful than perceptions in predicting attitude and, unlike perceptions, their effects varied among the areas. The much greater effect of perceptions, especially positive ones, on people's attitudes indicates that understanding perceptions is important to improving the relationship between local residents and these PAs. This finding underscores the fact that a focus on conflicts to understand people's attitudes toward PAs may undervalue or miss critical positive perceptions that people hold. Understanding local residents' perceptions of PAs makes possible the creation of strategic, place-based management strategies that build on people's positive perceptions and mitigate their negative perceptions.

Toward conservational anthropology: addressing anthropocentric bias in anthropology

“…Critics discredit this 'noble savage' depiction of tribal peoples who live in harmony with nature, asserting instead that indigenous peoples have 'human vices just as we do' (Wagley 1976:302). Indigenous people may view animals and plants as something not worth protecting (Allendorf et al 2006;Infield 1988a), and are capable of overuse and poor decision-making (Netting 1993). There are also examples of indigenous peoples who claim land rights only to grant large timber cutting or mining concessions on their lands (e.g., Turner 1993).…”

“…In Asia and Africa, local people frequently view wildlife from protected areas as pests (Infield 1988b;Newmark et al 1993;Grundy 1995;Infield and Namara 2001;Allendorf et al 2006;Trusty 2011), something to be feared (Infield 1988a;Allendorf 2007), or as valued by the government more than they value the local people (Brockington 2002;Igoe 2004).…”

The impact of land management systems on community attitudes towards tourism and conservation in six South African countries

“…It can also be used in education and awareness-raising programmes to improve attitudes and garner support from communities living in and around conservation areas (Allendorf et al, 2006;Chidakel, 2011;Sifuna, 2010;Simelane et al, 2006). This understanding is important because, as pointed out by Emerton (1999), benefit distribution is a necessary, but not in itself sufficient, condition for communities to engage in wildlife conservation.…”

Re-examining culture/conservation conflict: the view of anthropology of conservation through the lens of environmental ethics

“…Instead critics of such idealized indigenous peoples assert that indigenous peoples have ''human vices just as we do'' (Wagley 1976, p. 302), view animals and plants as something not worth protecting (Allendorf et al 2006;Infield 1988), and are capable of overuse and poor decision-making (Netting 1993). They consider that the majority of traits that perhaps once enabled traditional societies to live in greater harmony with the environment than more industrialized groups are slowly diminishing (Brosius 1999).…”

“…If no one needs bald ibises for anything, Tsepo reasoned, why bother to preserve them? (Grundy 1995, p. 7) In her paper on factors influencing local attitudes toward protected areas Trusty (2011) notes that in Asia and Africa, local people frequently view wildlife from protected areas as pests (Infield 1988;Newmark et al 1993;Infield and Namara 2001;Allendorf et al 2006), something to be feared (Infield 1988;Allendorf 2007), or as valued by the government more than they value the local people that the government values over themselves (Brockington 2002;Igoe 2004). Kottak (1999) reflects that in Madagascar, many intellectuals and officials are bothered that foreigners seem more concerned about lemurs and other endangered species than about Madagascar's people.…”