Assessing a nationwide policy reform toward community-based conservation of biological diversity and ecosystem services in the Alpine North

Abstract

Many attempts have been made worldwide to implement community-based conservation to gain a more inclusive protection of biological diversity and ecosystem services. In a recent national reform, the management of protected areas was devolved from the Norwegian government to local conservation boards. The main goals were to reduce local resistance toward conservation and ameliorate threats to biodiversity. We assessed the attainment of these goals a decade after implementation. We synthesized literature published since the onset of the reform and results from a survey (N = 936). Despite the limited inclusion of stakeholders and experience-based knowledge by local conservation boards, survey data show that community-based conservation arrangements are supported by residents. Conservation has been tailored to the local context by balancing sustainable use and protection, but there are some discontent with the opportunities for rural development. Managers report that biological diversity is threatened in 27% of the protected areas. Climate change and increased visitation are major conservation challenges that need to be addressed by the boards, but their mandate and capacity appear inadequate to cope with these challenges. Few studies have evaluated the conservation impact of the reform and we therefore suggest this as a priority for future research.