Resistance to Conservation in the Land of Zapata

Abstract

"As a response to global environmental concerns, a widely adopted strategy has been nature protection through the creation of natural protected areas. While there has been increasing awareness of the importance of local participation in both the design and management of protected areas, changes on the ground have been slow to materialize and little is known about the impact of conservation strategies on communal land holding and resource management. This paper provides findings from academic-community collaborative research with Mexican comuneros from the comunidad of Huitzilac, in the Corredor Biologico Chichinautzin (CBCH), Mexico. The establishment of the CBCH, within the context of conservation and local participation in Mexico, is analyzed. The paper provides insights on local perceptions and responses to conservation efforts and the impact of conservation on communal resource management. This case illustrates how conservation without meaningful local participation can lead to the emergence of local resistance, the establishment of a climate of violence, the degradation of local forest management practices, the emergence of an underground economy, the reduction of the sphere of communal decision making, the replacement of local knowledge by technical knowledge in forest management and the weakening of the local social fabric, all contributing to deteriorating conditions for communal resource management."