Opportunities and Barriers to Monitoring and Evaluating Management Effectiveness in Protected Areas within the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Region, South Africa

Georgina V. E. Wilson and Brandon P. Anthony ()
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Georgina V. E. Wilson: Department of Environmental Sciences and Policy, Central European University, A-1100 Vienna, Austria
Brandon P. Anthony: Department of Environmental Sciences and Policy, Central European University, A-1100 Vienna, Austria

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 7, 1-18

Abstract: Protected areas (PAs) that are not effectively managed will not contribute meaningfully to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework Target 3, which aims to ensure that a minimum of 30 per cent of terrestrial, inland water, coastal and marine areas are effectively conserved and managed. Our study examined the monitoring and evaluation of protected area management effectiveness (PAME) as part of an adaptive management process in the Kruger to Canyons (K2C) Biosphere Region in South Africa. Our mixed methods approach, using online questionnaires, interviews, and focus groups, revealed that most PA managers in the network were familiar with the concept of adaptive management. The most widely used PAME evaluation tool used in the region was the Management Effectiveness Tracking Tool (METT). Some PAs did not use a formal tool but gathered scientific data using methods such as game counts and vegetation surveys to judge management effectiveness. Additionally, several managers that did not use a formal tool mentioned that they were constrained by time, staff capacity or budget. The introduction of a simpler tool for managers that are time- or resource-constrained or who are working in a newly declared or in-process PA may improve PAME evaluation within the network. We suggest that there is a need for improved communication, co-learning, and information sharing regarding PAME evaluation tools.

Keywords: adaptive management; biosphere reserve; evaluation; Kruger to Canyons; monitoring; protected area management effectiveness; UNESCO MAB (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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