Social participation

Explores various approaches including those which are forest-related such as community forestry and joint forest management as well as those concerned with protected areas. Covers key issues of theory and implementation and methodolgies for implementation

"Collaborative management of protected areas" is a partnership by which various stakeholders agree on sharing among themselves the management functions, rights and responsibilities for a territory or a particular governmental agency staff - interested in pursuing the collaborative management option. It offers a broad definition of the approach and provides a number of examples of how it has been specifically tailored to different contexts.

Protected areas around the globe - national parks, wildlife reserves, biosphere reserves - will prosper only if they are supported by the public, the private sector, and the full range of government agencies. Yet such support is unlikely unless society appreciates the importance of protected areas to its own interests, and protected areas are well-managed and contribute to the national welfare in a cost-effective way.