Life and Living in Protected Areas: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Involving Multiple Stakeholders

George Ștefan Kudor, Dan Florin Stănescu () and Marius Constantin Romașcanu
Additional contact information
George Ștefan Kudor: “Simion Mehedinţi-Nature and Sustainable Development” Doctoral School, Faculty of Geography, Bucharest University, Nicolae Bălcescu Blvd., no.1, 010045 Bucharest, Romania
Dan Florin Stănescu: Department of Digital Communication and Emerging Media, Faculty of Communication and Public Relations, National University of Political Studies and Public Administration, Expoziției Blvd. no. 30A, Sector 1, 012104 Bucharest, Romania
Marius Constantin Romașcanu: Department of Communication, Faculty of Communication and Public Relations, National University of Political Studies and Public Administration, Expoziției Blvd. no. 30A, Sector 1, 012104 Bucharest, Romania

World, 2025, vol. 6, issue 2, 1-29

Abstract: Protected areas (PAs) are essential for conserving biodiversity and supporting sustainable development, particularly in ecologically rich yet administratively challenged regions like Romania. This study aims to understand how key stakeholders—local residents and protected area administrators—experience and interpret conservation management in the Southwestern Carpathians, one of Europe’s last remaining large-scale wilderness areas. Using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), the research offers an in-depth qualitative investigation into how individuals perceive, navigate, and negotiate conservation regulations, socio-economic pressures, and sustainable development goals. The findings highlight a deep emotional connection between residents and nature, juxtaposed with tensions over restrictions, perceived loss of autonomy, and limited compensation. Administrators, in turn, face challenges in enforcing regulations, managing tourism, and engaging communities amidst institutional fragmentation and resource constraints. Key findings emphasize the importance of environmental education, trust-building, and participatory governance in reconciling conservation aims with local development needs. The study underscores the need for inclusive, context-sensitive conservation strategies that integrate community perspectives and facilitate cooperation among local authorities, residents, and administrators. These insights contribute to a deeper understanding of stakeholder dynamics and policy implementation within protected areas, emphasizing the importance of co-produced knowledge and adaptive governance. Future research is encouraged to adopt participatory action approaches and expand stakeholder diversity to support more socially inclusive and ecologically resilient conservation practices.

Keywords: protected areas; biodiversity conservation; sustainable development; stakeholders; phenomenology; Romania—Southwestern Carpathians (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: G15 G17 G18 L21 L22 L25 L26 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 R51 R52 R58 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2673-4060/6/2/60/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2673-4060/6/2/60/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jworld:v:6:y:2025:i:2:p:60-:d:1649999

Access Statistics for this article

World is currently edited by Ms. Cassie Hu

More articles in World from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().