Weiye Wang
Other projects
18 Jul 2016
Changes in People’s Livelihoods in Protected Areas in China during a Period of Rapid Transition
Private acquisition of land for biodiversity protection is a new form of conservation in China, however, it has not been widely studied. In this study, I will take Laohegou-the first private protected area in China, as a case to gain understanding about the impacts of private protected areas establishment. This study focuses exploring when private protected area established: 1) what changes are local people experiencing? 2) how is the outcome of conservation? 3) what problems private protected areas are facing? In order to understand these questions, semi-structured interview methods will be used with purposive sampling strategy in Laohegou.
Laohegou Nature Reserve is the first private acquisition of land for biodiversity protection project in China. Due to the strict land ownership laws in the past, NGOs were prevented from copying the usual conservation practice of setting private land trust reserve in China until 2012, when Sichuan Paradise Foundation (SPF) entered into an agreement with Pingwu County Government for placement of the land in the foundation’s trust for a fifty-year period of management. This study will contribute to understand a new type of conservation in China, including how it was established, why it was established and what are the challenges and opportunities for it. This study will also explore the effect of this new type of conservation practice on biodiversity conservation and on different stakeholders.