Governing Marine Protected Areas

In this challenging volume, the author addresses some key challenges related to the effective and equitable governance of marine protected areas (MPAs). These challenges are explored through an analysis of twenty MPA case studies from around the world. A novel governance analysis framework is employed to address some key questions: How can top-down and bottom-up approaches to MPA governance be combined? What does this mean, in reality, in different contexts? How can we develop and implement governance approaches that are both effective in achieving conservation objectives and equitable in fairly sharing associated costs and benefits?

The author explores the many issues that these questions raise, as well as exploring options for addressing them. A key theme is that MPA governance needs to combine different approaches, rather than being based on people, state or market approaches and related theoretical perspectives and ideals. Building on ideas concerning the management of common-pool resources, the author puts forward a more holistic and less prescriptive approach to the governance of MPAs. This trans-disciplinary analysis is aimed at supporting the development of MPA governance approaches that build socio-ecological resilience through both institutional and biological diversity.