1. Large Differences in Livelihood Responses and Outcomes to Increased Conservation Enforcement in a Protected Area
- Author
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Thoumthone Vongvisouk, Anousith Keophoxay, Ole Mertz, Jonas Østergaard Nielsen, Joel Persson, Michael Zörner, and Scott A. Ford
- Subjects
Sociology and Political Science ,0211 other engineering and technologies ,Distribution (economics) ,Protected Areas ,02 engineering and technology ,010501 environmental sciences ,Environmental Science (miscellaneous) ,01 natural sciences ,Article ,Lao PDR ,Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous) ,Mixed Methods ,Enforcement ,Livelihoods ,Environmental planning ,Integrated Conservation and development ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences ,2. Zero hunger ,Ecology ,Cost–benefit analysis ,business.industry ,National park ,021107 urban & regional planning ,15. Life on land ,Livelihood ,Popularity ,Anthropology ,Survey data collection ,business ,Protected area - Abstract
Despite the popularity of integrated conservation and development approaches to protected area management, adjacent communities increasingly face livelihood dilemmas. Yet understanding of how market processes and conservation enforcement interact to influence livelihood responses remains limited. Targeting eight villages in Nam Et-Phou Louey (NEPL) National Park in northern Lao PDR, we draw on survey data with 255 households, 93 semi-structured interviews, and meso-level data on village conditions to examine how residents navigate associated livelihood dilemmas. A cluster analysis reveals five livelihood types with divergent capacities to engage in market development and cope with enforcement pressures. We show how market linkages, historical conservation interventions, and local access conditions shape livelihoods and differences between villages. Our approach yields a nuanced picture of how global conservation efforts result in an uneven distribution of costs and benefits at local scales. Conservation measures must account for highly divergent capacities to cope with access loss and diversify livelihoods. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10745-021-00267-4.
- Published
- 2021