How visualized visions can help decision-makers to engage with stakeholders and to navigate towards sustainable protected area management strategies.
This policy brief presents first findings from the case study area in the Netherlands – the Kromme Rijn region and Utrechtse Heuvelrug National Park, a multifunctional landscape with several PAs of different sizes and designation context, where we applied a set of tools from the inclusive conservation approach toolbox. Specifically, we conducted a series of interviews with local actors, targeting different groups such as local residents (at local town markets), recreationists and residents in the area (at a popular recreation spots) and representatives of the local government, NGOs and other relevant organizations (at their offices) to assess the following questions:
- What visions do people have for the area?
- What conflicting interests do people see in the landscape?
- Where do people see the landscape as multifunctional?
Such participatory methods can be a useful set of tools to both understand the diversity of visions stakeholders have for the area, as well as to engage with stakeholders. Visualizing the plurality of visions and modeling potential conflict zones can be a helpful tool towards revealing where potential conflicts could occur and how to navigate them.
If you are curious to find out more details about how to apply this approach of visualizing stakeholder visions as part of a PA management plan, please explore our newly published policy brief or contact the author Anna Filyushkina (anna.filyushkina<>vu.nl) for more information.
