Revealing stakeholders' motivation and influence in crane conservation in the Republic of Korea: Net‐Map as a tool

Abstract

Biodiversity conservation in protected areas requires strict legal limitations to land use. In the Civilian Control Zone (CCZ) of the Republic of Korea (ROK), military control has created an accidental sanctuary for the world's rarest crane species: the white‐naped crane (Antigone vipio) and the red‐crowned crane (Grus japonensis). Yet varying land use demands on the CCZ by stakeholders have caused disagreements in achieving cooperative crane conservation. This paper aims to clarify relevant stakeholders' interconnection and their motives that have led them to either promote or inhibit crane conservation in the Cheorwon Basin of the CCZ. To answer these questions, we conducted participatory Net‐Map interviews and identified stakeholders with a powerful role in crane conservation. Our results identify 44 stakeholders whose trust relations occurred twice as often as conflicts. More than 80% of stakeholders included in this study supported crane conservation initiatives. We attribute local farmers' increased level of environmental stewardship to two key schemes: a community‐led farming project generating financial incentives and a communication channel for stakeholders. Our case study demonstrates that Net‐Map is a valid tool to analyze human‐crane interactions, which is critical to ensure acceptance of legal restrictions to land use as well as crane conservation.

What is the main driver of unsustainable natural resource use in the Comoro Islands?

“…Untill recently, natural resource and habitat management strategies tended to rely on biological and ecological data based on species ecology, population genetics or demographics, but have often neglected the human societies that critically depend on natural ecosystems (Fritz-Vietta, 2016, Gaebel et al, 2020König et al, 2021). Although some conservation strategies have been developed in many countries on collaborative governance processes and participatory protected area management for instance, such strategies are non-existent in different parts of the world (Krueck et al, 2019;Ghosh-Harihar et al, 2019;Ayivor et al, 2020;Rittelmeyer 2020;O'Brien et al 2021;Jin et al, 2021;Arumugam et al, 2021). Communities living in geographic proximity to natural resources and forests typically have traditional knowledge about as well as emotional bonds with these areas.…”

“…Ignoring the needs and practices of local communities in habitat conservation initiatives may result in conflicts between natural resource managers and these populations if the latter feel they face restrictions in the benefits they acquire from these areas (Fisher et al, 2020;Gaebel et al 2020). This can eventually have a negative effect on both the long-term effectiveness of biodiversity conservation and on the livelihoods of the local population (Sournia, 1990;Fritz-Vietta, 2016;Debata et al, 2017;Gaebel et al, 2020;Jin et al, 2021). Reconciling the needs of the local population and natural resource use is now seen as fundamental in developing countries to implement management plans that ensure livelihoods and well-being in parallel with biodiversity conservation objectives (Helm Aveliina, 2006;Boron et al, 2016;Jin et al, 2021).…”

“…This can eventually have a negative effect on both the long-term effectiveness of biodiversity conservation and on the livelihoods of the local population (Sournia, 1990;Fritz-Vietta, 2016;Debata et al, 2017;Gaebel et al, 2020;Jin et al, 2021). Reconciling the needs of the local population and natural resource use is now seen as fundamental in developing countries to implement management plans that ensure livelihoods and well-being in parallel with biodiversity conservation objectives (Helm Aveliina, 2006;Boron et al, 2016;Jin et al, 2021).…”

Understanding Drivers of Unsustainable Natural Resource Use in the Comoro Islands

“…Fisher et al, 2020; Gaebel et al, 2020). This can eventually have a negative effect on both the long-term effectiveness of biodiversity conservation and on the livelihoods of the local population (Debata et al, 2017; Fritz-Vietta, 2016; Gaebel et al, 2020; Jin et al, 2021; Sournia, 1990). Reconciling the needs of the local population and natural resource use is now seen as fundamental in developing countries to implement management plans that ensure livelihoods and well-being in parallel with biodiversity conservation objectives (Boron et al, 2016; Helm et al, 2006; Jin et al, 2021).…”

“…Untill recently, natural resource and habitat management strategies tended to rely on biological and ecological data based on species ecology, population genetics or demographics, but have often neglected the human societies that critically depend on natural ecosystems (Fritz-Vietta, 2016, Gaebel et al, 2020; König et al, 2021). Although some conservation strategies have been developed in many countries on collaborative governance processes and participatory protected area management for instance, such strategies are non-existent in different parts of the world (Arumugam et al, 2021; Ayivor et al, 2020; Ghosh-Harihar et al, 2019; Jin et al, 2021; Krueck et al, 2019; O’Brien et al, 2021; Rittelmeyer, 2020). Communities living in geographic proximity to natural resources and forests typically have traditional knowledge about as well as emotional bonds with these areas.…”