A Strategic Management Approach Towards Protected Areas and International Environmental Conservation

Abstract

International environmental conservation efforts are focused on the establishment, expansion and maintenance of Protected Areas. The existence of Protected Areas are customarily justified with biological and social considerations. Biological considerations refer to the value of the Protected Areas from a biological perspective such as biodiversity, threatened and/or endangered species, ecological integrity, and environmental sustainability; and are commonly employed supported by extensive field research. Social considerations refers to the value of the Protected Areas from a human perspective such as aesthetics, enjoyment and utility; and are less prominently employed with comparatively less sociological research conducted on Protected Areas. Sound and sustainable management of Protected Areas require justifications with both biological and social considerations. This paper introduces a strategic management approach that encompasses both social and biological considerations. By bridging both biological and social considerations, strategic management approach is deemed more robust and appropriate. Strategic management approach reveals Domestic Tourists as a key stakeholder with a strong influence on the establishment, expansion and maintenance of Protected Areas. The role and effect of Domestic Tourists is investigated with a case study on Protected Areas in the State of Penang in Malaysia. Penang hosts six (6) Protected Areas despite being a small State with limited land. The findings reveal that Domestic Tourists are important key stakeholders, but their influence varies among the Protected Areas. These findings and insights establishes the importance of a strategic management approach towards Protected Areas and recommendations are proposed accordingly.