A protected area between subsistence and development

Conserving nature and managing protected areas are fraught with risks, especially when done against the preferences of local communities. The relative dependency of local communities on ecosystem services, perceptions of the economic potential of a protected area by the local population, and the belief that the locals will share in the potential benefits of the protected area determine whether the protected area will be opposed, tolerated or supported. Working from a sample of 686 interviews in Hoang Lien National Park in Vietnam the effective use of the park, the perception of the park and its management as well as the valuation of potential benefits are described. As various ethnicities are living in the core zone the analyses allow the consideration of various degrees of dependency on and perceptions of ecosystem services of the locals. The results show that the weak link in the intended development chain “protection – value of a protected area – better life for local population” is that an important part of the interviewees do not perceive that the local communities benefit from the national park. This implies that not only distribution of compensation payments but especially communications of the benefits (cash or local public goods) are core elements for sustainable conservation of natural resources.