Community Engagement in UNESCO Biosphere Reserves and Geoparks: Case Studies from Mount Hakusan in Japan and Altai in Russia
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Methods
2.1. Case Studies in Japan and Russia
2.1.1. Mount Hakusan Biosphere Reserve (Japan)
2.1.2. Mount Hakusan Tedori-River Geopark (Japan)
2.1.3. Altaisky Biosphere Reserve (Russia)
2.1.4. Geopark Altai (Russia)
3. Results
3.1. Management of the MHBR and the MHTGP in Japan
3.2. Management of the ABR and the AGP in Russia
4. Discussion
4.1. Japanese Case Studies
4.2. Russian Case Studies
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Biosphere Reserve | Global Geopark | |
---|---|---|
Goal | Harmony between protecting biodiversity and utilizing it in a sustainable manner | Protecting geological sites and related assets and developing them in a sustainable manner |
UNESCO Programme | Man and the Biosphere | Global Geopark |
Origin | 1976 | 2015 |
Territories | Terrestrial, marine, and coastal ecosystems | Single or unified geographical areas with international geological significance |
Number of Sites | 727 in 131 countries | 169 in 44 countries |
Priority Focus | Biodiversity | Geological features and terrain |
Three objectives | Conservation Sustainable development Logistic support | Protection Education Sustainable development |
Country | Japan | Russia | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Program | Mount Hakusan Biosphere Reserves (MHBR) | Mount Hakusan Tedori-river Geopark (MHTGP) | Altai Biosphere Reserve (ABR) | Altai Geopark (AGP) |
UNESCO Designated | Yes | Aspiring | Yes | Aspiring |
Year of origin | 1980 | 2011 | 2009 | 2015 |
Territory | 1993 km2 | 754 km2 | 35,000 km2 | 14,500 km2 |
Overlapping areas between Biosphere Reserve and Geopark | Yes | Yes | ||
Main Features | Biodiversity and cultural diversity | Geological, Geographical, Hydrological, Archeological | Biodiversity, cultural and landscape diversity | Geological, Geographical, Hydrological, Archeological, and Ethnographical diversity |
Governance | Multiple municipalities and prefectures | Single municipality | Multiple and transboundary units | Single region |
Management | Local authorities | Synergistic with local authorities and communities | Synergistic with local authorities and communities | Local authorities |
Level * of locals’ involvement in the management process (* The levels were evaluated as high if more than 5 interviewers confirmed community involvement.) | Low | High | High | Low |
Community Council | Does not exist | Does not exist | Created | Does not exist |
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Mammadova, A.; Redkin, A.; Beketova, T.; Smith, C.D. Community Engagement in UNESCO Biosphere Reserves and Geoparks: Case Studies from Mount Hakusan in Japan and Altai in Russia. Land 2022, 11, 227. https://doi.org/10.3390/land11020227
Mammadova A, Redkin A, Beketova T, Smith CD. Community Engagement in UNESCO Biosphere Reserves and Geoparks: Case Studies from Mount Hakusan in Japan and Altai in Russia. Land. 2022; 11(2):227. https://doi.org/10.3390/land11020227
Chicago/Turabian StyleMammadova, Aida, Aleksandr Redkin, Tatiana Beketova, and Christopher D. Smith. 2022. "Community Engagement in UNESCO Biosphere Reserves and Geoparks: Case Studies from Mount Hakusan in Japan and Altai in Russia" Land 11, no. 2: 227. https://doi.org/10.3390/land11020227