Modelling stakeholders’ preferences to pinpoint conflicts in the planning of transboundary protected areas

Abstract

In this paper, we propose a sequentially participative model for planning in transboundary protected areas based on the Analytical Hierarchy Process, Goal Programming and Monte Carlo simulation. The model was developed with two scenarios: one determinist and another with simulations that provide a multi-level ranking of the most relevant goals according stakeholders' preferences to establish priorities in the planning of protected areas. Moreover, the proposed methodology is capable of identifying conflicts, providing a comparison between the most likely priorities and the most consistent group priorities associated with each planning goal. The model was tested in a Portuguese-Spanish Reserve called Meseta Ibérica and it permitted the identification of the highest conflicts in conservation, agroforestry, local development, fire prevention, wildlife conservation and certification of local products. Moreover, it found strong intercountry conflicts related to development and planning goals associated with governance at the most specific level.

Qualifying Land Use and Land Cover Dynamics and Their Impacts on Ecosystem Service in Central Himalaya Transboundary Landscape Based on Google Earth Engine

“…Almost one-third of the protected areas are transboundary and in these areas, as elsewhere in the HKH region, ecosystems and habitats extend across political boundaries [23]. When conservation policies meet with the administrative and political borders in the territory, the situation becomes more complex because of the nonconformity between natural ecological boundaries and administrative borders [33]. This means that landscape-level planning is necessary and management requires regional cooperation if the ecosystems or habitats are transboundary in nature [34].…”

Assessing Sustainable Rural Development Based on Ecosystem Services Vulnerability

“…This model has already been successfully applied to correct inconsistencies in paired matrices for planning in protected areas [16]. After application of the GP model, consistent matrices were obtained that are as similar as possible to the original ones, while ensuring the conditions of similarity, consistency and reciprocity required by matrices built using pairwise comparisons.…”

“…Although these efforts have apparently been well directed and their effects positive [10], socioeconomic and conservation goals in EU policy have not always been easy to integrate. Conflicts between stakeholders with different interests in rural areas make it difficult to establish locally consensual and coordinated planning and management instruments [16] and this difficulty also affects European policies and their application. Despite efforts, integration of goals has not been sufficiently achieved [17], which requires methodological developments in particular to pinpoint and consider environmental components in decision-making processes.…”

A Goal Programming Model to Guide Decision-Making Processes towards Conservation Consensuses

“…One is the difficulty to develop common conservation policies for socioecological systems shared by two countries because international political borders usually do not coincide with natural ecological boundaries [5]. The second is the complexity of governance derived from inter and intra-country government levels, aggravated by the different perceptions of stakeholders' groups due to cultural and institutional differences [6], which implies that conservation priorities might also diverge between countries [7]. In addition, in recently established conservation areas, these problems can be even more critical since there are new actors and institutions involved and the mechanisms to address conflicts are not yet in place.…”