A framework for improving the management of protected areas from a social perspective: The case of Bahia de San Antonio Protected Natural Area, Argentina

The management of protected areas and the recognition of a problem regarding its effectiveness are a global concern. Worldwide, protected areas are facing increasing pressures to join human development and biodiversity conservation. There are clear difficulties in connecting use and conservation, and there is also a gap between the planning of objectives and the management of protected areas. To improve management effectiveness, we developed a general framework to integrate the steps into an operational system. This framework was created from a social perspective, prioritizing the analysis of uses and activities, and the territorial conflicts in the protected area. In this case study, we applied the framework to Bahia de San Antonio Protected Natural Area (BSAPNA), Argentina. The results have enabled us to identify four major conflicts that hinder the implementation of the management plan: between uses and conservation; due to incompatibilities between different uses and activities; at the institutional and political level, and due to land-use changes. The framework allows us to define the manifestation of these conflicts in the territory and to identify a series of critical and strategic areas, which are useful to make management recommendations for the examined case. In addition, our modeling approach, that can also be applied to other reserves, provides a solid basis to improve the management of protected areas.