TY - JOUR

T1 - Improving compliance around protected areas through fair administration of rules

AU - Ibbett, Harriet

AU - Dorward, Leejiah

AU - Jones, J.P.G.

AU - Kohi, Edward M

AU - Dwiyahreni, Asri A

AU - Sankeni, Stephen

AU - Prayitno, Karlina

AU - Mchomvu, Jesca

AU - Kaduma, Joseph F

AU - Saputra, Andie Wijaya

AU - Agustin, Ika Yuni

AU - Trywidiarini, Tyassanti

AU - Mawenya, Rose

AU - Supriatna, Jatna

AU - St. John, Freya A. V.

PY - 2024/7/17

Y1 - 2024/7/17

N2 - Protected area management often depends heavily on law enforcement to secure compli- ance with rules. However, this can contribute to conflict between protected area authorities and local people, negatively affecting both human well-being and conservation outcomes. Compliance is affected by many factors, including whether those who enforce rules are perceived to do so fairly, as well as the perceived rule-related behavior of others. We used factorial survey experiments to explore how fair respondents living around protected areas in Indonesia and Tanzania perceive sanctions distributed by law enforcers to be. We pre- sented scenarios to respondents to assess how crime type, offender characteristics, and corruption influenced their judgments regarding the fairness of administered sanctions. We also assessed how descriptive norms and corruption influenced individuals’ willing- ness to obey protected area rules. Data were collected from 229 people in Indonesia and 217 in Tanzania. Results showed that in both locations, lawful sanctions, such as arrests or warnings, were perceived as fairer, and sanctions that involved corruption were perceived as least fair. Attitudes toward protected area rules, corruption, and descriptive norms all influenced people’s willingness to comply, whereas multidimensional poverty did not. Our results highlight the need for conservation policy and practice to move beyond narratives that focus on the need for more law enforcement. To improve protected area compliance and secure better outcomes for people and nature, conservation must focus on ensuring the fair administration of rules and enhancing the legitimacy of rules themselves.

AB - Protected area management often depends heavily on law enforcement to secure compli- ance with rules. However, this can contribute to conflict between protected area authorities and local people, negatively affecting both human well-being and conservation outcomes. Compliance is affected by many factors, including whether those who enforce rules are perceived to do so fairly, as well as the perceived rule-related behavior of others. We used factorial survey experiments to explore how fair respondents living around protected areas in Indonesia and Tanzania perceive sanctions distributed by law enforcers to be. We pre- sented scenarios to respondents to assess how crime type, offender characteristics, and corruption influenced their judgments regarding the fairness of administered sanctions. We also assessed how descriptive norms and corruption influenced individuals’ willing- ness to obey protected area rules. Data were collected from 229 people in Indonesia and 217 in Tanzania. Results showed that in both locations, lawful sanctions, such as arrests or warnings, were perceived as fairer, and sanctions that involved corruption were perceived as least fair. Attitudes toward protected area rules, corruption, and descriptive norms all influenced people’s willingness to comply, whereas multidimensional poverty did not. Our results highlight the need for conservation policy and practice to move beyond narratives that focus on the need for more law enforcement. To improve protected area compliance and secure better outcomes for people and nature, conservation must focus on ensuring the fair administration of rules and enhancing the legitimacy of rules themselves.

KW - conservation conflict

KW - conservation law enforcement

KW - corruption

KW - deterrence theory

KW - Indonesia

KW - legitmacy

KW - rule breaking

KW - Tanzania

U2 - 10.1111/cobi.14332

DO - 10.1111/cobi.14332

M3 - Article

JO - Conservation Biology

JF - Conservation Biology

SN - 0888-8892

ER -