Seeking Successful Co-Management of a Coastal/Marine Protected Area in Panama
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Untangling the Roots of the Mangrove Tree: Seeking Successful Co-Management of a Coastal/Marine Protected Area in Panama by Katherine D. Cann B.A. in International Affairs and Geography, January 2016, The George Washington University A Thesis submitted to The Faculty of The Columbian College of Arts and Sciences of The George Washington University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science May 20, 2018 Thesis directed by Marie Price Professor of Geography © Copyright 2018 by Katherine D. Cann All rights reserved ii Acknowledgments I would like to first thank my advisor, Dr. Marie Price, for guiding me through this research process and offering unparalleled support. Her guidance and advice were paramount in introducing me to the region and qualitative research, and in helping me find my place in the discipline of geography. I would also like to thank Dr. David Rain who introduced me to this project and provided extremely thoughtful commentary that assisted me in developing my thoughts and grounding this study within contemporary theoretical discourse. I am indebted to my contacts in Pedasí, especially Ruth Metzel, director of the Azuero Earth Project. Her tenacity and hard work for reforestation of the Azuero Peninsula are a constant inspiration. I would also like to thank Gricel Garcia who was instrumental in helping me understand the local contexts by sharing her experiences, expertise, and community connections. Robert and Isabel Shahverdians, co-directors of Tortugas Pedasi, and Dr. Felix Wing, director of Derechos Humanos, Ambiente y Comunidades (DHAyC) also provided extremely valuable insights. This research was made possible by the GW Geography Department’s Campbell Research Grant, which afforded me the opportunity to travel to Panama and complete valuable fieldwork. Additionally, I would like to thank the American Geographical Society for awarding me with the 2018 Council Fellowship to return to Panama and continue this important research. I hope to translate these findings into substantive support for the Committee for Shared Management of the Pablo Arturo Barrios Wildlife Refuge and advance positive conservation outcomes in Pedasí. Finally, I would like to thank my family, friends, and peers and faculty in the GW Geography Department for their constant support and for making this research project and graduate experience one of the most rewarding times of my life. iv Abstract of Thesis Untangling the Roots of the Mangrove Tree: Seeking Successful Co-Management of a Coastal/Marine Protected Area in Panama In 2016, the national government of Panama passed a law allowing for co- management of protected areas, revitalizing the dialogue of community-based conservation programs and inducing decentralization of national conservation strategies in the country. This study examines one such co-management project at the Pablo Arturo Barrios (PAB) Wildlife Refuge, a coastal/marine protected area in the district of Pedasí, Panama. Through a combination of interviews, observation, review of institutional documents, and a community survey, this study documents the community contexts and implicit power networks that propelled this community to apply for the co-management of a local protected area, and examine its potential as a conservation strategy. Factors propelling successful conservation in Pedasí include a history of community organization for conservation purposes, a historic economic and cultural reliance on local natural resources, and the presence of two environmental non-profit organizations working to promote conservation interests. However, shifting sources of livelihood and community demographic makeup are adding a critical mass of development interests to the community. After organizing inquiry into a social ecological systems framework and locating local axes of power according to political ecology, this study concludes the interests of tourism development actors are likely to be advanced over those of conservation actors. Due to the preference of both local and national politicians for development in this high-value coastal space, as well as lack of engagement from the broader community in Pedasí, prospects for successful co-management of the protected v space remain elusive and the refuge continues to be at risk of destruction from large-scale development. vi Table of Contents Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................. iii Abstract of Thesis ............................................................................................................... v List of Figures .................................................................................................................. viii List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... ix Chapter 1: Introduction ....................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 2: Theoretical Framework and Literature Reviewed ............................................ 6 2.1 Social Ecological Systems Framework ................................................................................. 6 2.2 Political Ecology ................................................................................................................. 11 2.3 Protected Areas and Community Conservation .................................................................. 17 2.4 Tourism Spaces ................................................................................................................... 24 Chapter 3: Fieldwork and Methodology ........................................................................... 29 Chapter 4: Locating Demographic, Economic, Political, and Ecological Contexts ......... 42 4.1 Panama ................................................................................................................................ 42 4.1.1 General Demographic and Economic Situation ........................................................... 42 4.1.2: Panama’s Environment and Conservation Governance .............................................. 43 4.1.3 Tourism and Coastal Development Trends.................................................................. 46 4.2 Pedasí .................................................................................................................................. 49 4.2.1 General Demographic and Economic Situation ........................................................... 49 4.2.2 Environmental Characteristics ..................................................................................... 52 4.2.3 Tourism and Coastal Development .............................................................................. 55 Chapter 5: Pablo Arturo Barrios Wildlife Refuge as a Social Ecological System ........... 58 5.1 Resource System ................................................................................................................. 66 5.2 Resource Units .................................................................................................................... 71 5.3 Actors .................................................................................................................................. 77 5.4 Governance Systems ........................................................................................................... 79 Chapter 6: Identifying Local Stakeholders and their Interests ......................................... 83 6.1 Local Conservation Actors .................................................................................................. 84 6.1.1 Community Perceptions of Conservation .................................................................... 87 6.1.2 Local Conservation Actors .......................................................................................... 96 6.2 Local Tourism and Development Actors .......................................................................... 102 6.2.1 Community Perceptions of Tourism .......................................................................... 105 6.2.2 Local Tourism Actors ................................................................................................ 110 6.3 A Tangled Web ................................................................................................................. 122 Chapter 7: National Contexts for Co-management ......................................................... 126 7.1 National Conservation Actors ........................................................................................... 127 7.2 National Tourism Actors ................................................................................................... 136 Chapter 8: Conclusion .................................................................................................... 142 Bibliography ................................................................................................................... 149 vii List of Figures Figure 2.1. ........................................................................................................................... 8 Figure 4.1. ......................................................................................................................... 42 Figure 4.2. ......................................................................................................................... 46 Figure 4.3. ........................................................................................................................