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SOCIAL-ECOLOGICAL CHANGE AND MARINE PROTECTED AREAS: INSIGHTS FROM THE RÍA LAGARTOS BIOSPHERE RESERVE, MEXICO

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dc.contributor.authorSingh, Hameet
dc.date.accessioned2019-08-28T19:37:23Z
dc.date.available2019-08-28T19:37:23Z
dc.date.issued2019-08-28
dc.date.submitted2019-08-27
dc.description.abstractThis research examined social-ecological regime shifts (SERSs), and their relation to the governance and human dimensions of marine protected areas (MPAs). Characterized by their rapid and long-term onset, SERSs pose a major challenge for managers of coastal and marine resources. The world’s oceans are being overexploited at an unprecedented rate, resulting in what many experts are referring to as a maritime “tragedy of the commons,” steered by large-scale drivers such as overfishing and climate change. These drivers of change result in localized, regional and global impacts on both marine biodiversity and human wellbeing. Abrupt social and environmental changes can be constituted as SERSs, or disruptions of social-ecological system structure that can potentially have enduring and detrimental influence on ecological health and the social stability of coastal communities. The establishment of MPAs as a management tool can be used in coastal nations around the world, including Mexico, to avoid or mitigate the impacts of SERSs in a coastal and marine context. MPAs strive to safeguard flora and fauna by restricting certain exploitative activities in a given area of the marine environment or land-sea interface. Previous research indicates that MPAs governed with the integration and inclusion of local community perceptions, as opposed to conventional state-led approaches, have been particularly effective. This study focused on the Ría Lagartos Biosphere Reserve, an MPA located in the southern Mexican state of Yucatán, where overexploitation driven by Asian market demand of the local sea cucumber fishery and the emerging tourism industry have brought an influx of social-ecological changes to the region. The research objectives included: 1) establishing a thorough understanding of the environmental and social changes occurring in the region, 2) studying local perceptions of the MPA and how they relate to the changes and community wellbeing, and 3) determining if community involvement in the MPA can enhance its governance to withstand change and improve wellbeing. It followed a largely qualitative and inductive methodology, using semi-structured interviews, focus groups and a survey as its data collection methods. The results indicated that local perceptions can provide valuable insights to strengthen MPA governance, better community-government relations, bolster community wellbeing and improve responses to social-ecological change. The co-management approach is found to be the way forward for MPA governance.en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10012/14982
dc.language.isoenen
dc.pendingfalse
dc.publisherUniversity of Waterlooen
dc.subjectsocial-ecological changeen
dc.subjectsocial-ecological regime shiften
dc.subjectmarine protected areaen
dc.subjectnatural resource managementen
dc.subjectnatural resource governanceen
dc.subjectsmall-scale fisheryen
dc.subjectcoastal tourismen
dc.subjectcommunity wellbeingen
dc.subjectco-managementen
dc.subjectbiosphere reserveen
dc.subjectcoastal communityen
dc.subjectsustainability managementen
dc.subjectconservationen
dc.subjectcommons governanceen
dc.subjectMexicoen
dc.subjectYucatanen
dc.subjectRia Lagartosen
dc.subjectsea cucumberen
dc.subjectenvironmental changeen
dc.subjectecological changeen
dc.subjectsocial changeen
dc.subjectenvironmental governanceen
dc.subjectsocial-ecological systemen
dc.subjectprotected areaen
dc.subjectqualitative researchen
dc.subjectqualitative studyen
dc.subject.lcshnatural resources management areasen
dc.subject.lcshmarine parks and reservesen
dc.subject.lcshsmall-scale fisheriesen
dc.subject.lcshwell-beingen
dc.subject.lcshbiosphere reservesen
dc.subject.lcshcoastal biodiversity conservationen
dc.subject.lcshcoastal biodiversityen
dc.subject.lcshcoastal ecologyen
dc.subject.lcshcoastal zone managementen
dc.subject.lcshcoastal settlementsen
dc.subject.lcshintracoastal waterwaysen
dc.titleSOCIAL-ECOLOGICAL CHANGE AND MARINE PROTECTED AREAS: INSIGHTS FROM THE RÍA LAGARTOS BIOSPHERE RESERVE, MEXICOen
dc.typeMaster Thesisen
uws-etd.degreeMaster of Environmental Studiesen
uws-etd.degree.departmentSchool of Environment, Enterprise and Developmenten
uws-etd.degree.disciplineSustainability Management (Water)en
uws-etd.degree.grantorUniversity of Waterlooen
uws.contributor.advisorNayak, Prateep
uws.contributor.affiliation1Faculty of Environmenten
uws.peerReviewStatusUnrevieweden
uws.published.cityWaterlooen
uws.published.countryCanadaen
uws.published.provinceOntarioen
uws.scholarLevelGraduateen
uws.typeOfResourceTexten

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