Learning through collaboration and conflict resolution in Protected Areas governance in Brazil

Learning is an essential feature in collaborative environmental management. Learning through experiences, reflections and knowledge production can enhance the ability of individuals and groups to solve complex problems, such... [ view full abstract ]

Learning is an essential feature in collaborative environmental management. Learning through experiences, reflections and knowledge production can enhance the ability of individuals and groups to solve complex problems, such as environmental conservation issues in Protected Areas (PAs). In this study, we investigated what communities’ leaders and PAs managers have learned in governance processes over the last 8 years, in Paraty, southeastern coast of Brazil. These governance processes involved managers from two no-take PAs (Tamoios Ecological Station and Serra da Bocaina National Park) interacting with two fishing communities (Tarituba and Trindade). Semi-structured interviews were carried out from 2016 to 2018 with managers of the PAs (n= 5), community leaders (n= 10) and some outside key players identified as brokers (n= 4). All the groups affecting or being affected by the implementation of Protected Areas in the Paraty region have been struggling to improve environmental conservation and overcome conflicts resulting from the overlap of PAs over communities territories. Preliminary results point that over the years, both managers of PAs and community leaders: (i) enhanced their capacities to negotiate some rules of access and use of natural resources within Protected Areas; (ii) improved their understanding about each other point of view concerning decisions on conservation issues and claims made by communities; (iii) mobilized resources to overcome conflicts and; (iv) perceived progresses in the institutional development of community-based organizations (CBOs). Despite of that, both groups identified that few advances have been made in the implementation of continuous environmental conservation actions. Furthermore, brokers highlighted the need to empower young leaders and community organizations to deal with conflicts in Protected Areas. On the other hand, managers considered that the implementation of PAs have been evolving and should be treated as a long-term learning process. The long-term period of interactions between managers and community members contributed to enhance organizational capacities of both government agencies and CBOs to deal with management challenges of PAs overlapping with communities’ territories. All the individuals involved are aware of each other learning progresses; they mutually acknowledge each other efforts towards more collaborative and problem-solving actions.