The social and political dynamics of protected area managementSocial science literature on protected areas has hitherto tended to approach protected areas as restrictions being imposed upon people living in and around the protected area and often resulting in conflict. Yet, experience from the field suggests that some people living in and around protected areas engage actively in negotiating and sometimes, in fact, even in promoting the establishment and management of protected areas. In some cases, such local efforts originate in a straightforward concern with halting land use change and environmental degradation. More commonly, however, such environmental concerns converge with other concerns that directly or indirectly relate to wider livelihood strategies. This may include efforts by (some) local actors to forge strategic alliances with external authorities, such as district governments, environmental ministries, national and international NGOs and donor organisations, in order to achieve support, for e.g. land claims or recognition of their role in environmental governance of the area viz-à-viz other actual or potential users. The research unit analyses the social and political dynamics of such strategic alliances related to local participation in protected area management including the negotiation and set up of the governance regime. Research within this theme currently embraces two research activities:
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