Cited by 232Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource ManagementLand Use and Ecosystem ServicesSocioeconomics of Resources and Conservation

Human well-being impacts of terrestrial protected areas

Open access
Pullin, Andrew S, Bangpan, Mukdarut, Dalrymple, Sarah, Dickson, Kelly, Haddaway, Neal R, Healey, John R, Hauari, Hanan, Hockley, Neal +4 more·2013·Environmental Evidence

Abstract

Establishing Protected Areas (PAs) is among the most common conservation interventions. Protecting areas from the threats posed by human activity will by definition inhibit some human actions. However, adverse impacts could be balanced by maintaining ecosystem services or introducing new livelihood options. Consequently there is an ongoing debate on whether the net impact of PAs on human well-being at local or regional scales is positive or negative. We report here on a systematic review of evidence for impacts on human well-being arising from the establishment and maintenance of terrestrial PAs. Following an a priori protocol, systematic searches were conducted for evidence of impacts of PAs post 1992. After article title screening, the review was divided into two separate processes; a qualitative synthesis of explanations and meaning of impact and a review of quantitative evidence of impact. Abstracts and full texts were assessed using inclusion criteria and conceptual models of potential impacts. Relevant studies were critically appraised and data extracted and sorted according to type of impact reported. No quantitative synthesis was possible with the evidence available. Two narrative syntheses were produced and their outputs compared in a metasynthesis. The qualitative evidence review mapped 306 articles and synthesised 34 that were scored as high quality. The quantitative evidence review critically appraised 79 studies and included 14 of low/medium susceptibility to bias. The meta-synthesis reveals that a range of factors can lead to reports of positive and negative impacts of PA establishment, and therefore might enable hypothesis generation regarding cause and effect relationships, but resulting hypotheses cannot be tested with the current available evidence. The evidence base provides a range of possible pathways of impact, both positive and negative, of PAs on human well-being but provides very little support for decision making on how to maximise positive impacts. The nature of the research reported to date forms a diverse and fragmented body of evidence unsuitable for the purpose of informing policy formation on how to achieve win-win outcomes for biodiversity and human well-being. To better assess the impacts of PAs on human well-being we make recommendations for improving research study design and reporting.

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  • Conservation policies can sometimes lower welfare locally.

    “whereas such policies can sometimes lower welfare locally ( 77 , 78 ).”
  • Conservation policies, including incentives, could play out unequally.

    “However, conservation policies (including incentives) could also play out unequally.”
  • Higher-income countries might contribute to financing environmental protection in lower-income countries but only to secure global benefits.

    “higher-income countries might contribute to the financing of environmental protection in lower-income countries but only to secure global benefits -such as the preservation of particular species and ecosystems, or carbon storage”

    From Pervasive human-driven decline of life on Earth points to the need for transformative change (2019) · cites this paper as [77]

    The Economic capital section mentions foreign aid in Nepal, and the Environmental (natural) capital section says residents recognized global benefits of conservation. Neither passage says higher-income countries finance protection in lower-income countries only to secure global benefits. Searches for financing, global benefits, and carbon storage found no passage addressing that condition. (LLM, conf=0.74)

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1 of the 101 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 2

  1. Nguiffo S: One forest and two dreams: The constraints imposed on the Baka in Miatta by the Dja Wildlife Reserve. In Indigenous people and protected areas in Africa. Edited by Nelson J, Hossack L, Moreton-in-Marsh. UK: Forest Peoples Programme; 2003:195-214.
  2. Kremen C, Niles J-O, Dalton MG, Daily GC, Ehrlich PR, Fay JP, Grewal D, Guillery RP: Economic incentives for rainforest conservation across scales. Science 2000, 288:1828-1832.

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Authors
Pullin, A. S., Bangpan, M., Dalrymple, S., Dickson, K., Haddaway, N. R., Healey, J. R., Hauari, H., Hockley, N., Jones, J. P. G., Knight, T., Vigurs, C., & Oliver, S.
Affiliations
  • Bangor University (GB)
  • University of London (GB)
Corresponding author
Pullin, Andrew S
Venue
Environmental Evidence
Published
2013
Volume
2
Issue
1
Pages
19
ISSN
2047-2382 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2168684543
Cited by
228
References
101
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 18 · 2024: 16 · 2023: 25 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 19 · 2020: 28 · 2019: 14 · 2018: 21 · 2017: 21 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 29 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 3
FWCI
11.41
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
  • Environmental Evidence (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Bangor University Research Portal (Bangor University) (acceptedVersion)
  • UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
  • Bangor University Research Portal (Bangor University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Land Use and Ecosystem Services
  • Social Sciences › Economics, Econometrics and Finance › Economics and Econometrics › Socioeconomics of Resources and Conservation
Keywords
protected areas, terrestrial protected areas, human well-being, conservation impacts, ecosystem services, livelihoods, biodiversity conservation, conservation policy

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