Resolving Conflicts between Conservation and Recreation in Protected Areas

Abstract

Nature, gifted with grandeur and a bounty of resources, has long been revered by human beings and continually shaped by our footprints. The way we perceive nature and our current interactions with nature have changed significantly over the past century. Nature demonstrates different facets: it is not only a reservoir of resources for conventional commodity use but also a popular tourist destination, a pleasurable playground, a laboratory for scientific research, a wildlife paradise, a basis of world heritage and a revenue generator for local economies. The demand for various uses of nature has increased and diversified. This situation has produced a transformative process for public land that has continued to the present day. Two dominant features of this transformation process can be identified across different jurisdictions: one feature is an increase in public awareness of nature conservation and the other is an increase in recreational demands and the accompanying blossoming of the tourism industry.