Community Engagement in Sustainable Resource Use and Management in the Montseny and Channel Islands Biosphere Reserves

Historically, local communities were excluded from resource use and decision-making processes in protected areas. In the 1980s, a new participatory-paradigm emerged, recognizing the need to involve local communities to achieve... [ view full abstract ]

Historically, local communities were excluded from resource use and decision-making processes in protected areas. In the 1980s, a new participatory-paradigm emerged, recognizing the need to involve local communities to achieve conservation goals. This research project focuses on community engagement in UNESCO’s World Network of Biosphere Reserves. Biosphere Reserves are areas of terrestrial and coastal/marine ecosystems, designated by UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Program (MAB). These special, internationally recognized areas are designed to serve as model sites integrating three interrelated objectives: the conservation of biodiversity, sustainable economic development, and the integration of local cultural values. The purpose of this research project is to compare the existing strategies and mechanisms promoting community participation in resource use and management, using two case studies: the Channel Islands Biosphere Reserve (USA) and the Montseny Biosphere Reserve (Spain). The research method is guided by qualitative methodologies, including the review of documents/publications, semi-structured interviews with the managers of biosphere reserves, and direct observations.  By examining the formal participatory mechanisms and the strategies geared towards the sites' most vulnerable communities (such as indigenous communities, women, and recent immigrants), this study aspires to explore the ways in which community engagement differs in the two biosphere reserves, based on the sites’ unique social, political, and historical contexts.