Motivations for community participation in marine protected areas governance systems

Résumé

Declines in marine biodiversity have sparked global concerns, leading to increased commitments to establish marine protected areas (MPAs) as a key tool to safeguard marine habitats and species from human and environmental pressures. However, the effectiveness of MPAs in achieving their ecological goals is often undermined by insufficient consideration of the human dimension and by a lack of meaningful community engagement. While there is growing recognition of community engagement in MPA governance processes and the increased research attention it has garnered, there remains a notable absence of comprehensive, systematic reviews of this topic using the Stakeholder Participation Assessment Framework (SPAF). This study, therefore, conducts a systematic literature review guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 guidelines, using 68 peer-reviewed articles from Google Scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science, to synthesize the literature on community engagement in MPAs governance processes through the lens of the SPAF. Findings reveal that while the need to gather community input, establish rapport with communities, and comply with legal requirements are primary drivers of participation, community engagement practices in many MPAs often remain passive and serve only as tick-boxes. The study recommends adopting stakeholder analysis to ensure that public participation processes effectively incorporate diverse voices, knowledge systems, interests, and perspectives throughout all stages of the MPA governance process. MPA authorities should therefore work with academia and other key stakeholders to develop, refine, and reform public engagement practices if conservation goals are to be met.

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