Effects of connection to nature on residents’ perceptions of conservation policy justice of Natura 2000

Abstract

We examined the effects of human connection to nature on residents’ concerns about justice in conservation policies of Natura 2000. Expansion of Natura 2000 conservation network has resulted in local communities having to consider Natura 2000 in their development plans, and justice concerns have been strong in some communities near Natura 2000 sites. We conceptualized Natura 2000 justice within a framework composed of 3 domains of conservation justice: distribution, recognition, and representation. To examine the effect of nature connection on perceived justice of Natura 2000, we conducted a door‐to‐door survey of rural resident (80.09% response rate) in 3 municipalities of Pomerania in Poland. The effect of connection to nature on perceived distribution of Natura 2000 benefits was positive (b = 0.187, t = 7.057, p < 0.001); perceived communication about Natura 2000 was positive (b = 0.089, t = 2.940 p < 0.01); perception of limitations was positive (b = 0.078, t = 2.416, p < 0.01); perceived recognition was positive (b = 0.117, t = 3.367, p < 0.001); and perceived representation was positive (b = 0.123, t = 5.015, p < 0.001). Our results suggest local residents’ bonds with nature matter and they should be considered when new conservation approaches, such as Natura 2000, are introduced.

Spatial variation of perceived equity and its determinants in a gateway community of Giant Panda National Park, China

“…Therefore, the potential for seeking spatial justice by modifying human spatiality according to the characteristics of a particular place should exist in all situations. Soja (2010) argued that spatial justice and injustice can be seen as both outcome and process, as geographies or distributional patterns that are in themselves just/unjust as the processes that produce these outcomes. If PA authorities fail to implement fair and legal allocation policies and protection compensation mechanisms, it will not only weaken the communities' trust in political institutions, but also undermine the level of spatial justice.…”

“…The spatiality of social justice, though frequently overlooked in the conservation field, has proved to be exceedingly valuable in the broader social background ever since 1960s, when Davies (1970) linked justice to geography. While Rawls (1971) argued that the distribution of resources is central to the geographical aspect of justice, Soja (2010) further illustrated that the spatiality of human life should be understood as "a complex social product. " In many other fields including urban greening, blue space, open space, and rural regions, the notion of spatial justice is frequently measured by the accessibility to public facilities and other resources (Raymond et al, 2016;Jian et al, 2020;Kenneth, 2020;Gradinaru et al, 2023).…”