Enhancing Community Participation in Geoparks Planning and Management A Framework for Developing and Evaluating Community Participatory Forums

摘要

A geopark serves to foster socio - economic development that is culturally and environmental ly sustainable. However, the goal of sustainable planning and management of natural areas is not easily achieved. Most natural areas are still managed by a traditional"top- down"approach that has often failed to sustain the heritage they were designed to protect and failed to involve or benefit local communities who are most affected by the management proposals. Numerous stud ies have examined how more participatory approaches to managing natural areas can be promot ed to achieve the goal. However, most participatory approaches are not theoretically - drivenand lack of empirical evidence to evaluate their effectiveness in a specific social, economic, po litical, and ecological context.