Journal
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
Volume 250, Issue -, Pages -Publisher
ACADEMIC PRESS LTD- ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.109506
Keywords
Propensity score matching; Community-based ecotourism; Social well-being; Natural conservation policy; Giant panda habitat; China
Categories
Funding
- Natural Science Foundation of China [71861147001, 71373024]
- China Scholarship Council
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Community-based ecotourism (CBET) is considered an efficient mechanism for alleviating conflicts between conservation and development. It is particularly important in the conservation of the giant panda population, which faces the primary threat of habitat fragmentation. Although studies have assessed livelihood changes of households participating in CBET, research on ecological effects is lacking. To address the gaps in the literature, we conducted propensity score matching on data from households at different altitudes in giant panda habitats in Sichuan Province, China. The results show that CBET has achieved desirable social outcomes, significantly increasing local households' income and well-being, especially for those at high altitudes. With respect to ecological impacts, CBET has significantly raised households' conservation attitudes, but has also increased natural resource extraction, especially at high altitudes. Overall, CBET in the giant panda habitat has not led to a win-win situation between social and ecological outcomes, especially at high altitudes. Our results indicate that the ecological impact of CBET is significant, and policies aimed at promoting the conservation of natural resources should account for this effect.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available