A case study in Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary - ICTA - Universitat ...

Page 2 of 3727282930313233AbstractResearchers, governments, and conservation organizations recognize that thelong-term integrity of protected areas in low-income nations depends upon the supportof indigenous and rural communities that live within or around them. Thus,understanding the determinants of residents’ attitudes towards protected areas mightprovide guidance in the design, implementation, and evaluation of this strategic form ofbiodiversity conservation. Here we 1) compare urban and rural residents’ perceptions3435363738394041424344Proof for Reviewof the impact of a protected area and 2) analyze the association between the perceptionof economic, social, and environmental impacts and overall attitude towards theprotected area. For the empirical analysis, we use information collected among urbanand rural residents living in the vicinity of the Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary in theWestern Ghats, Karnataka, India. We found that local residents’ attitude towards theprotected area was mainly positive, especially among urban residents. Results frommultivariate analysis show a positive association between the perception of economicbenefits and individual attitude towards the protected area. We did not find astatistically significant association between attitude towards the protected area andperception of social and environmental impacts. Future research should addresswhether positive attitudes translate into more sustainable behaviours.454647Key words: economic impact; environmental impact; local perceptions; social impact;Western Ghats (India); Wildlife Sanctuary.2