Exploring the Social Impact of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) in Southern Europe 🌊

Exciting insights from our recent study on MPAs in Spain, Italy, Greece, and France reveal their vital role in conserving marine ecosystems and boosting local economies.

Key Findings:

• Economic Impact: While MPAs significantly boost regional economies through tourism and sustainable fishing, the direct impact on personal income for locals is modest.
• Social Benefits: High quality of life and recreation benefits are evident, though access rights can be contentious.
• Public Support & Trust: Strong support exists for MPAs, with notable variations (e.g., 90% support in Atlantic Islands of Galicia vs. 60% in Alonissos). However, trust in management authorities remains low, indicating a need for better governance.

Policy Recommendations:

1. Enhance Local Economic Benefits: Develop strategies to increase economic advantages for local communities, focusing on sustainable tourism and local fisheries.
2. Strengthen Governance: Improve transparency and community involvement in decision-making processes to build trust and support.
3. Promote Social Equity: Ensure consistent surveys to address social equality and the distribution of social impacts, helping to develop strategies that support economic benefits and minimize conflicts.

Access the full report here

Our new report is now available capturing change of perceptions for Matsalu National Park in Estonia between 2021 and 2024. Matsalu National Park known for its biodiversity and eco-tourism, was the subject of social surveys and personal interviews in 2021 and 2024 to assess its social impacts and public perceptions. The 2021 survey established a baseline, highlighting economic benefits, land use changes, and community involvement, as well as public views on the park’s significance and management. The follow-up research in 2024 aimed to identify trends and shifts in public opinion, influenced by any new policies or developments since the initial survey. The results offer insights for sustainable management and development of the park.

Read the report here

In this new report we present the results of a survey conducted in the Atlantic Islands national park in Galicia. The survey captured the multiple social outcomes of the national park for local communities. It also captured a number of other social aspects such as the level of public engagement, environmental and social values and trust in institutions. Our results reveal numerous benefits that the park offers for local communities and a high level of support for the designated protected area. These perceptions however are accompanied by low levels of trust for institutions. Opportunities to further engage locals with volunteering opportunities and in decision-making processes were also noted. You can read the full report hereLink opens in a new window

Our latest report on people's views and social outcomes of Triglav National Park is now available. Triglav National Park is located in north-western Slovenia and covers almost the entire Slovenian part of the Julian Alps. It is the only national park in Slovenia with the status of a protected area with strict protection of the core zone and the preservation of a cultural landscape in the surrounding areas. Our research revealed the multiple beneficial outcomes that Triglav National Park offers for local communities. The park serves as a haven for outdoor enthusiasts, providing numerous recreational opportunities. These activities promote physical well-being, contributing to the overall quality of life for locals. Triglav National Park also plays a crucial role in cultural heritage preservation, maintaining the traditions and lifestyles of nearby communities. While the park's conservation objectives may restrict certain economic activities, the social advantages it provides in terms of education, health, and cultural identity are undeniable.You can access the full report here

This study investigates the diversity, extent, and social and spatial distribution of the social outcomes of the Eifel National Park in Germany and how these are linked with the level of public support for the park, as well as the effect of COVID-19 on these social impacts. Structured questionnaires were distributed to local residents living inside or near the national park. According to our study the national park is rated positively by the majority of respondents, and provides a range of benefits, but also costs, to local communities. There are also variations in how these impacts are distributed across different sub-communities, between residents and visitors, and across geographical locations in and around the park, and there is a significant relationship between local people’s perceptions of some social impacts and their level of support for the national park’s existence. Evidence from the COVID-19 pandemic suggests that, whilst living in close proximity to the park enhances the quality of life of local residents, any future increases in tourism may need careful planning and management if they are not to erode local people’s quality of life. You can access the full paper here

In this paper we run a structural equation model exploring how the interconnections between governance, social capital and social impacts can lead to higher levels of support for PAs using data from 3239 local residents in 10 PAs in Europe. Our analysis shows that the mediation effects of governance indicators, such as trust in institutions and level of public engagement, are important in explaining associations between an individual’s social profile and their perceived social impacts with public support. Our findings also provide a useful and operational framework for PA practitioners and researchers illuminating pathways to increase the level of public support for a PA. Full paper can be accessed here: https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/acc95b/pdf

The recent FIDELIO report on Pieniny National Park reveals significant local support and strong community ties to the park, with 75% of respondents expressing their support for its existence. Conducted by the University of Warwick, the survey assessed 223 residents' views on various social outcomes, including trust in park management, environmental behavior, and place attachment. Key findings highlight that residents generally adhere to responsible environmental practices and trust the park authorities, with many feeling a deep connection to the area. The report suggests enhancing community engagement and sustainable tourism to foster a greater sense of ownership and economic benefit, ensuring that future conservation efforts are inclusive and beneficial for both nature and the local community. You can access the report here

This paper explores local public support for nature protected areas (PAs) to identify primary social factors explaining support. The model was built and tested using survey data collected from approximately 2300 individuals living inside or near six Protected Areas in five different European countries using both face-to-face and online methods. Results show that perceived social impacts are a key and consistent predictor of the level of stated support, despite the wide range of potential impacts. Also important is the strength of a person’s sense of place attachment to the PA landscapes or area, as well as institutional trust. Other factors were only significant at some sites indicating the importance of local context. Results indicated that stated support is linked with pro-environmental behaviour when using the protected area, indicating the importance of supportive public attitudes for behaviour that is supportive of ecological effectiveness. The link between stated support and volunteering was less clear indicating that this is also influenced by other factors. The model is intended to inform theoretical understanding of the factors affecting public support, but also as a step towards developing a predictive tool for practitioners taking into consideration a broader range of factors in assessing public support and highlighting problem areas for action. As new ambitious biodiversity conservation targets are set internationally, our study will be useful for practitioners and researchers regarding what future management approaches and policies need to focus on in order to maximise public support, minimize conflicts in PAs and increase pro-environmental behaviour. You can access the whole paper here.

Our latest report on people's views and social outcomes of Kullaberg Nature Reserve is now available. Kullaberg Nature Reserve is located in the north-west corner of Scania province in Sweden and has the status of protected area under the category V of the IUCN. The peninsula is surrounded by the mixed salt waters from Skagerraky and brackish waters of the Baltic Sea, which enables favorable conditions for the habitat of a unique marine and terrestrial flora and fauna. Our research showed that the nature reserve is of significant social value for local communities. Kullaberg provides benefits on a number of aspects especially considering people's quality of life and connectedness to nature. However, there are variations on how these impacts are perceived between communities depending on their geographical location. Kullaberg also has a very crucial role for a large part of the community on how they coped during the pandemic. You can access the full report here

Protected Areas are the most widely applied policy tool for biodiversity conservation. In Europe, protected areas are expected to significantly increase as the new EU Biodiversity strategy sets an ambitious target of 30% of land and 30% of water to be protected by 2030. Despite the popularity of this environmental policy, understanding variations in the level of public support for protected areas remains underexplored. This is an important area of research, considering that, in order for protected areas to be effective, they need to be supported by most users, including local communities and visitors. In this paper, we reviewed theoretical and empirical evidence explaining the level of support for protected areas and proposed a new approach when designing and designating protected areas in Europe. This approach models the process of the introduction of a new protected area as a policy intervention within a socio-ecological system. Specifically, it models how protected area social outcomes or impacts are conditioned and contextualised by numerous intervening factors relating to the social context and governance and management system to influence local actors’ attitude and active support for the protected area. This new approach aims to assist policy makers, conservation practitioners and scientists to plan actions that assist in increasing the level of public support for protected areas in the context of the post 2020 Biodiversity Strategy of the European Union.

Access the full text here: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/5/733