Gabriela Weber de Morais

PhD project:

Marine Protected Areas expansion in Costa Rica: impact on local communities, their reaction towards the expansion and how this response can influence MPAs performance

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) has set the target of conserving 10% of all coastal and marine areas by 2020. As of 2010 however, Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) cover only approximately 1% of the total of marine areas worldwide. To help achieve CDB’s goals, Costa Rica is working to expand MPAs in the next few years. Even though the country has extensive experience in nature protection, most of the areas converted into conservation units were not densely inhabited. This situation seems to be different regarding MPAs. The challenge already posed to MPAs by degradation and overexploitation of natural resources is therefore reinforced by the need of promoting adequate mechanisms for stakeholders participation in order to achieve effectiveness in MPAs.

Bearing these challenges in mind, this research project seeks to explore: the impact of marine protected areas expansion on local communities in Costa Rica; their reaction towards the expansion; how this response can ultimately influence MPAs performance. To achieve this purpose, it will be necessary to understand the formal and informal rules in place. It will be also important to comprehend the changes these communities have been through in the past, since such changes might shape their members’ actions in the future. This approach will help to understand how communities’ response might affect MPAs performance. The project will use a case study research design. The cases will be purposefully chosen to represent different levels of community involvement. The goal is to observe whether the level of community involvement influences their response to the MPAs and ultimately also whether it affects MPAs performance.

Research Theme: D "Ocean and Society"