نویسنده: اتازیس

From Paper Parks to Real Conservations: Case Study of Social Capital in Iran’s Biodiversity Conservation

The proposition that natural areas need protection from the destructive actions of people is widely accepted. This paper examines Iran’s e-society attitudes and capital towards biodiversity conservation and evaluates economically Iran’s national parks (NPs). 2,121 respondents answered an online questionnaire conducted in summer 2012. The majority of respondents had visited one of Iran’s NPs. Almost all respondents were willing to voluntarily participate in conservation and environmental projects; willing to pay for protection; willing to increase the protected areas; willing to visit the NPs in the future; and they were mostly young. There is a resurgent interest in conservation amongst Iranian citizen scientists. Respondents showed that they could collaborate for resource management. They think ecological problems and solutions are human problems and not simply biological problems. Biodiversity conservation in Iran has been threatened by mismanagement, lack of funds, park-other organization conflict, lack of biodiversity awareness, and lack of public participation. Conservation biologists can help engage Iran’s society in conservation efforts by striving to achieve three goals: adjusting the public’s perception of biodiversity, increasing public participation in biodiversity conservation, and encouraging ecotourism by tour packages to develop conservation and local. Furthermore, the government should see the human and environmental condition as one intricate system. The governor must focus on conservation projects that engage the urban populace and support the goal of developing a biodiversity ethic. It should consider updating management, enhancing environmental educational programs, designing environmental volunteer plans, treating ecotourism tour packages, installing real collaborative principles, and establishing participatory conservation approaches.

Keywords: National Park; Ecotourism; Willingness to Pay; E-society; Participatory Conservation

پارک‌های ملی کاغذی یا پارک‌های ملی واقعی؟ این مقاله به اهمیت سرمایه اجتماعی و نحوه درگیر کردن و مشارکت جوامع محلی در مدیریت و حکمرانی حفاظت از تنوع‌زیستی می‌پردازد.

می‌توانید کل مقاله را در تارنمای زیر بخوانید:

From Paper Parks to Real Conservations: Case Study of Social Capital in Iran’s Biodiversity Conservation

How to cite:

Kolahi, M., Sakai, T., Moriya, K., Yoshikawa, M., & Esmaili, R. (2014). From Paper Parks to Real Conservations: Case Study of Social Capital in Iran’s Biodiversity Conservation. International Journal of Environmental Research, 8(1), 101-114.

Visitors’ Characteristics and Attitudes towards Iran’s National Parks and participatory conservation

The highly diverse climate and nature of Iran offer a potential to use ecotourism as a tool to support conservation and local development. To realize this potential, the ecotourism experience must be identified to guide management actions. This paper examines ecotourism’ attitudes towards conservation and evaluates Iran’s national parks (NPs) economically. 2,121 respondents answered an online questionnaire conducted in summer 2012. The majority of respondents had visited at least one of Iran’s 26 NPs. The survey revealed the weak condition of NPs both in status and conservation activities. Almost all respondents were willing to voluntarily participate in projects related to nature, environment and biodiversity conservation; pay for protection; increase the area of protected areas; visit NPs in the future; and they were mostly young. They believed that the conservation of biodiversity is not only the responsibility of the government but also society in general. Furthermore, most answerers highlighted ecotourism activities as a tool to benefit local people. The paper concludes that the government should elevate environmental awareness and consciousness, build community capacity for biodiversity management, resurrect the conservation movement, promote ecotourism and sustainable investment, strengthen the capacity of NGOs, look for synergisms, and build opportunities for participatory, cooperative science and stewardship.

این مقاله دیدگاه اکوتوریسم یا بازدیدکنندگان مناطق حفاظت شده را در مدیریت این مناطق لحاظ می‌کند و از ایشان به عنوان یکی از گروداران نام برده و لزوم و مسیر حرکت به سمت حکمرانی فراگیر عرصه‌های ملی را مشخص می‌کند.

می‌توانید کل مقاله را در تارنمای زیر بخوانید:

Visitors’ Characteristics and Attitudes towards Iran’s National Parks and participatory conservation

How to cite:

Kolahi, M., Sakai, T., Moriya, K., Yoshikawa, M., & Trifkovic, S. (2014). Visitors’ Characteristics and Attitudes towards Iran’s National Parks and participatory conservation. PARKS Journal IUCN, 20(1), 49-62.

Introduction of Participatory Conservation in Iran: Case Study of the Rural Communities’ Attitudes in Khojir National Park

Participatory conservation, as bottom-up management, is currently the most acceptable model for management of protected areas across the world. Social context is a central issue in the sustainable management of conservation areas. It is also crucial to introducing participatory conservation. The new approach therefore recognizes rural communities as key partners in biodiversity management and seeks their participation in social development and biodiversity conservation. This paper examines the opinions and perceptions of local residents towards conservation, ecotourism, and Khojir National Park (KNP) in Iran. A questionnaire and informal interviews were conducted in five villages in or around the park. A comparative analysis of community participation and its barriers among the villagers were also employed. A model was developed to study attitudes of the local people and how they affect conservation and ecotourism development. The results revealed a moderate general knowledge about KNP and environmental issues, the lack of interaction between local people and government authorities, eagerness to participate in the activities of KNP, general support for the conservation cause, and important differences among the villages. Furthermore, the majority of respondents were classified as supportive of biodiversity conservation and neutral to ecotourism development, which may indicate a coexistent relationship. The research clearly identifies the need for devising strategies and initiatives appropriate to specific local groups for optimizing their input in conservational issues. The optimization process of participatory conservation in Iran should be undertaken to create a congruent, site-specific model with the best possible results based on world experiences.

Keywords: Biodiversity conservation; Bottom-up management; Local people; Ecotourism development

این مقاله به مفهوم حفاظت مشارکتی در ایران و بررسی نگرش جوامع محلی به مدیریت مناطق حفاظت شده، همچون پارک ملی خجیر، پرداخته و رویکردهای حفاظت مشارکتی را بیان می‌دارد.

می‌توانید کل مقاله را در تارنمای زیر بخوانید:

Introduction of Participatory Conservation in Iran: Case Study of the Rural Communities’ Attitudes in Khojir National Park

How to Cite:

Kolahi, M., Moriya, K., Sakai, T., Khosrojerdi, E., & Etemad, V. (2014). Introduction of Participatory Conservation in Iran: Case Study of the Rural Communities’ Perspectives in Khojir National Park. International Journal of Environmental Research, 8(4), 913-930.

Challenges to the future development of Iran’s protected areas system

Since the1950s, there has been a continuous increase in the number and coverage of protected areas (PAs) in Iran, and in total 253 PAs have been declared that cover 10.12% of the country’s area. This paper reviews literature addressing Iran’s PAs, examines what is known about them, highlights the challenges and lessons learned, and identifies areas where more research is needed. The PA system in Iran is criticized because of (1) shortages of manpower, equipment, and financial resources; (2) de jure PAs that are often implemented as de facto reserves; (3) lack of national biodiversity indicators and objective monitoring processes; and (4) limited public participation and conflict between people over PAs. To improve, Iran’s PAs system needs to be realistically supported by policies and planning instruments. In addition, the implementation of active management to restore habitat, increase education and awareness, shift practices towards the guidelines of international organizations, build capacity, and improve management and co-management by local communities needs to occur.

Key Words: Iran; Protected Areas; Management; Governance; Biodiversity

این مقاله به چالش‌های پیش‌روی توسعه سیستم مناطق حفاظت شده ایران می‌پردازد و برای کلیه کسانی که در مورد طبیعت، محیط‌زیست و منابع طبیعی پژوهش یا فعالیت می‌کنند، مناسب می‌باشد.

می‌توانید کل مقاله را در تارنمای زیر بخوانید:

Challenges to the future development of Iran’s protected areas system

How to Cite:

Kolahi, M., Sakai, T., Moriya, K., & Makhdoum, M. F. (2012). Challenges to the future development of Iran’s protected areas system. Environmental management, 50(4), 750-765.