Abstract
I employ the social-ecological systems (SES) framework to map, analyze and compare human-natural systems in terrestrial and marine protected areas in two world regions: the Guanacaste Conservation Area (ÁCG) in the northwest of Costa Rica and the Regional Network of Protected Areas of the Azores (RAPA), on this Portuguese North Atlantic archipelago. Both of these areas feature protected status designations from the global to the local levels of governance and contain several “resource systems,” as characterized by the SES framework. In the Azores I focus on the Terras do Priolo terrestrial protected area on São Miguel Island, and the broader Marine Park; and in the ÁCG on the tropical dry forest sectors, and the marine protected areas associated with the Santa Rosa sector. The SES approach frames questions of sustainability through an analysis of complex adaptive systems, assuming that the social, economic, ecological, and cultural systems in a given area are deeply intertwined. I am engaging in Fulbright-supported qualitative fieldwork research (observation; semi-structured interviews; embedding with ecosystem research teams, etc.) to evaluate institutional arrangements and policies in the protected areas in terms of their likelihood of facilitating resilience and sustainability of the natural and human systems in these areas. I anticipate drawing lessons from the Guanacaste and Azores comparison that may inform sustainability policy and practice in these areas and beyond.
Presenters
Jeanie BukowskiAssociate Professor and Director, Political Science and Office of Global Studies & Initiatives, Bradley University, Illinois, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
2025 Special Focus—Sustainable Development for a Dynamic Planet: Lessons, Priorities, and Solutions
KEYWORDS
Social-Ecological Systems, Protected Areas, Sustainability, Guanacaste, Costa Rica, Azores, Portugal
