Integrating parks and neighbours

Participation is seen increasingly as a tool to promote integration of protected areas and local stakeholders, minimizing existing conflicts and negative impacts on the areas. But how does participation work? How is it seen by the different actors involved and what realities exist in distinct protected areas and for different approaches? This work gives answers for three case studies analyzing the implementation of participatory applied in the Brazilian Mata Atlântica (one of the 25 conservation hotspots worldwide). It focuses in depth on the mechanisms driving participation concerning protected area management. Founded on literature and field experiences a theoretical framework is developed to characterize participation, a term often used with diverse meanings. Perceptions and realities are analyzed for the different methods. The publication concludes with proposals for improving implementation of participatory approaches in protected area management.