Public Participation in National Park Management in the UK, Denmark and Hong Kong

Study Title: A Comparison and Evaluation of Public Participation in the Management of National Parks in the UK and Denmark with Protected Areas in Hong Kong

A local birdwatcher helps with bird conservation in National Park Thy, Jutland, Denmark

1. Introduction

Rural landscape has becoming more important for highly urbanized and densely populated cities and countries. Many human settlements are situated within rural areas with high environmental value. To safeguard the interest of rural communities and protect the environment, it is crucial to manage human activities in the countryside. Protected areas are often designated where sustainable development of rural communities is promoted. In this era of which sustainable development is emphasized, public participation, as an aspect within sustainable development, is particularly essential in countryside management. Both the interest of local communities and the nature should be represented in the management of the protected areas. Public participation is desired in developed countries since it enhances social and economic sustainability.

2. Methodology

This paper covers the study areas of 1) Peak District National Park (PDNP), UK, with a focus on the rural town of Castleton, 2) National Park Thy (NP Thy), Jutland, Denmark and 3) the protected areas in Hong Kong. A definition of public participation will be given in the first part of the essay. In the latter part, public participation in the management of protected areas in the European context will be compared and evaluated with those in Hong Kong.

Discussion of 1) and 2) will be based on literature, field observations, lectures and interviews during a field trip to PDNP on 27 July, 2015 and an environmental educational volunteering camp in NP Thy from 22-26 June, 2015. Discussion on protected areas in Hong Kong will be based on literature review.

3. Definition of public participation

According to Kakabadze (2011), public participation in management of protected area is the engagement of the public in the decision making process. Different types of public participation is on a spectrum from top-down approaches to bottom-up approaches.

James & Blamey (1999) further elaborate the approaches in details.

There are different methods and mechanisms for public participation and involvements, including press releases, advertisements, radio/TV appearances, open forums, consultations, volunteer programmes, junior ranger programmes, annual park festivals, grants to “friends of the parks” (Kakabadze 2011).

4. Public participation in the management of Peak District National Park and National Park Thy

4.1. Peak District National Park, UK

PDNP, established in 1951 as the first national park of the UK, was designated to conserve the natural beauty, to promote enjoyment of Peak District’s special quality and to foster economic and social well being of local communities (Peak District National Park Authority [PDNPA] 2015). In the Peak District Management Plan (PDNPA 2012), it mentions that the National Park is not merely protecting the “view”, but also the relationship of people, place and nature. The plan emphasized on fostering the thriving and vibrant communities of 38,000 residents and 140 villages and hamlets in the park, with goals of creating a sense of space, promoting sustainable living, and providing access to services and affordable housing. This shows that local communities and their wellbeing are valued in the PDNP. In fact, the local communities proposed the goals set in the management plan and they play an important role in shaping the future for the national park.

There are different forms of public participation in PDNP. There has been a long history of “bottom-up” community planning initiatives focusing on capacity building for communities to shape local affairs (PDNPA 2012). The villages are encouraged to produce neighborhood plans, which is a consensual land use plan that has legal weight, to get adopted by the PDNPA (PDNDA 2015). This allows them to participate actively in shaping their own community and landscape. Other than involving in the planning process, some locals are even working in the PDNDA.

Volunteering is also important in the management of PDNP. Locals and the public outside of Peak District are invited to do voluntary work in the national park, such as volunteer rangers, volunteer conservation project, volunteer moorland scientists, volunteer in environmental education and volunteer community science. By participating in these programmes, the public can build connections with nature and the local communities and is effective in capacity building.

4.2. National Park Thy, Jutland, Denmark

Similar to PDNP, NP Thy, established in 2008 and located in the Northern part of the Jutland Peninsula, is the first national park of Denmark. Within the 24,400-hectare of land of dune heaths, oligotrophic lakes and dune plantations, thriving communities with rich cultural heritage live in the 25% privately owned land. Thus, it is important to balance the needs of local community development and environmental protection.

NP Thy has a good foundation for public participation since its establishment was a result of “citizen participation on a grand scale” (Svendsen 2010). The process of establishment of NP Thy took 5 years of public participation and engagement. A “blank page” document was first given by the government to the local council and requested them to submit a paper with visions, aims and ideas for the national park. Then, most of the local residents in Thy attended a public information meeting where 4 open tasks group was established – nature, culture, outdoor life and business. After 2 years of investigative period, a proposal was drafted and discussed in 3 public hearings. A bill was then passed to set up the national park. Later, the National Fund Thy, which all of the board members must be locally connected, was founded to facilitate the development of the national park. Involvement of local stakeholders has fostered a deep commitment and a feeling of ownership of Nation Park Thy. Nevertheless, the active participant in the establishment process was 50 or older. There were failed attempts in engaging the young people and families.

NP Thy also employs volunteering as its management strategy. To enhance the feeling of ownership of the national park, volunteers are recruited from the local communities. The volunteers are required to take classes about the national park, nature and first aid prior to taking up voluntary positions. They are recruited to run the information house or to work as a tour guide, an ambassador, a steward or a photographer.

5. Discussion and evaluation of public participation in Peak District National Park and National Park Thy

5.1. Advantages of public participation

There have been studies of the benefits of public participation in protected area management. Parks and Wildlife Commission of the Northern Territory (PWCNT) (2002) argues that robust public participation can mutually beneficial to the communities, agency and the society.

5.2. Disadvantages of public participation

However, there are also drawbacks for public participation (PWCNT 2002). Firstly, it can be time consuming, like it took 5 years for NP Thy to be established due to extensive public participation. Also, it can have possible high financial costs. Moreover, staff training for agency and capacity building are needed to carry out public participation programmes. Finally, consensus may be difficult to made when interest groups are entrenched in their view. For instance, there was heated debate on various issues in the public hearing for the NP Thy proposal (Svendsen 2010).

5.3. Challenges for public participation

Both PDNP and NP Thy faces challenge of aging population. As both NPs value the development of sustainable rural communities, it is important to engage the local community. Unfortunately, the local communities are undergoing ageing. For instance, PDNPA (2008) found that although the population of HPDD Sub-Area[1]has increased in recent years, the population is ageing. The percentage of population growth of HPDD Sub-Area from 1995-2005 was 3.5%. However, the percentage of population growth of age group of 0-14 was -3.8%; 15-24 was unchanged; 25-44 was -4.5%; 45-64 was 14.8%; 65-74 was 5%; 74+ was 18.1%. This reveals a serious problem of ageing population and a possible rural-urban migration of the younger age groups. With a disappearing young population, the vitality and sustainability of the rural communities may be challenged. As aforementioned, NP Thy failed to engage the younger people in the establishment of the national park. Other problems and phenomena can be induced too. Local cultural heritage and traditions would be disappearing and rural economy would decline eventually. This would challenge the public participation approach since there will be no local communities to be engaged if this phenomenon prevails.

5.4. Opportunities for public participation

To overcome the above challenges, public participation itself provide opportunities, like it build sense of community and ownership. This may help to retain young people from rural-urban migration. By encouraging the young generation in self-mobilization, they can start projects that are beneficial to the community. Also, through developing rural economy, the rural competitiveness can be increased and rural decay can be slowed down.

5.5. Drivers/ conditions for high level of public participation

To achieve a high level of public participation, the government has to be sincere in carrying out this bottom-up approach. Both UK and Danish governments support public participation in decision-making. In UK, the Localism Act was introduced in 2011 (Department for Communities and Local Government 2011) to distribute power and enhance the sustainability of local communities. With a legal basis, a high level of public participation would be resulted. Trust between agency and local communities has to be established as well. Lastly, environmental awareness of local community is crucial to ensure environmental sustainability while developing rural economy and tourism.

6. Public participation in protected areas in Hong Kong

Hong Kong, being a city with high biodiversity, has 43% of land designated as protected areas with legal protection of 24 country parks, 22 special areas, 4 marine parks and 1 marine reserve (AFCD 2015). Human settlements exist as 77 enclaves within the protected areas, forming patches of land without legal protection, threatening the integrity of the protected areas and handicapping their functionality of nature conservation (WWF 2014). Notable examples of enclaves are Tai Long Sai Wan and Dong Ping Chau.

The level of public participation is low in Hong Kong. The decision-making processes are only participated by the public by informing or consulting. Public participation are lacking and are often targeted for interest groups and NGOs like the new Public-Private Partnership Scheme, which NGOs are encouraged to cooperate with land owners in the protected areas in nature conservation programmes (Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department [AFCD] 2015). Another example is focus group meeting of terrestrial and marine biodiversity working group meetings, which are off-limits for the general public. As for the general public, there are some public engagement activities organized by the government and NGOs, such as Biodiveristy festival, lectures, volunteering work and field trips. The local communities are not actively engaged in the management of protected areas in Hong Kong.

7. Discussion and evaluation of public participation in protected areas in Hong Kong

7.1. Challenges for public participation

Public participation in protected areas in Hong Kong faces huge challenges. The main problem for Hong Kong is the fierce land use conflict and tension. Due to excess demand of housing, a lot of rural lands are acquired by developers, who seek economic benefit, for low-density residential buildings in enclaves. The intrusion of developers into the rural communities causes the decline of rural villages, which many villagers moved to urban area and enclaves with high environmental value were destroyed by developers. Some villagers also pressed for the constructions of village-type housing for sale. This shows that the developers and villagers have a low environmental awareness that hinders public participation.

Also, the Hong Kong government is insincere in development of rural communities and public participation. This can be seen in the case in Dong Ping Chau. The Dong Ping Chau Council complained that the government was insincere since their demands for basic utility and transportation were not fulfilled for years (Lo 2014). This creates hurdles for public participation.

Another problem is the debate of whether public participation should be limited to the rural population especially those within the protected areas or extended to the urban population as well. As the rural population in the enclaves is directly connected to the protected areas and affected by the management of the protected areas, some may argue that they should be exclusively participate in the management. On the other hand, the urban population is the major user of the protected areas. Thus, their engagement is also desired. In order to engage the rural population or both rural and urban population, revitalization of villages is essential as most of the villages in Hong Kong are facing rural decay. Revitalization of villages can yield a better result of public participation.

7.2. Pros and cons for public participation in protected areas in Hong Kong

There are benefits for public participation in protected areas in Hong Kong. The coexistence of urban and rural communities can be promoted if urban communities are included in the public participation process. A “true” and more diverse ecotourism can be developed, as the local communities are involved in knowledge exchange with the tourists. It can also facilitate sustainable rural development and heritage conservation with local participation. Local traditional knowledge of handicraft, cookery and nature can be preserved. The knowledge can be enriched as well with the participation of experts from public. The local can then use their knowledge to do better environmental conservation to protect their own homeland, like fung shui woodlands. A sense of ownership and environmental stewardship can be fostered among the locals and the urban population through different voluntary experiences.

Nevertheless, there are drawbacks for adopting public participation as a management strategy. Some may argue that a more “encompassing” and “democratic” conservation of public participation would result in less land in the enclaves for housing development to cope with the housing storage in Hong Kong. Yet, developing in the enclaves can cause a little increase in supply of low-density housing and is catered for the high-income buyers. This would cause damage to the social fabric of the rural communities and is effective to solve the problem of housing shortage.

Public participation can also be time consuming and requires resources for capacity building in local communities. Valuable time may be wasted to reach consensus among all of the involved stakeholders in a bottom-up situation. Time and resources are necessary to be invested for capacity building in local communities and the public to raise environmental and sustainability awareness.

8. Proposal of achieving higher level of public participation in management of protected areas in Hong Kong

8.1. Revitalize local communities in enclaves of protected areas

In order to revitalize the local communities, government should provide basic utilities to local communities. For instance, villagers of Dong Ping Chau protested in November 2014, urging the government to improve the living condition of the island by providing utilities like electricity, water and waste treatment. This shows the relationship of the local communities and government is hostile due to the failure of government to provide basic needs for the communities. This hinders public participation. Also, the government should renovate paths and facilities to increase the accessibility and attractiveness of the rural area to encourage back migration or new migration. The government can consider the option of attracting new demographics that are educated and with high environmental awareness to settle in the villages. This can help bring in the capacity and know-how of environmental conservation to the local communities.

8.2. Provide volunteering program or paid jobs for local communities

The government can provide volunteering program or paid jobs for local communities in the protected areas. They can work as tour guides, park stewards or park ranger on a voluntary or paid basis. They can work along with the AFCD workers in country park maintenance. A sense of ownership can be built by encouraging the local communities to volunteer or work in the protected area. This can help them to realize the intrinsic value of environmental conservation. The government can attract retirees to volunteer like in the case of NP Thy, where a high percentage of volunteers are retired. This can provide job opportunities in rural areas as well.

8.3. Establish planning board for protected areas

Learning from the experience of PDNP and NP Thy, the government can establish planning boards for the protected areas with many enclaves. The planning board can provide a platform for envisioning and governing the rural development to promote ecotourism. The planning board has to ensure the representativeness of the local communities, at the same time, allow the participation of urban communities, experts and NGOs. Mechanisms like EIA is desirable to ensure decisions made protect the environment, rather than the interest of developers or the wealthy. However, there are legislation complications for establishing such planning board. Amendments have to be made for the existing Country Park Ordinance and Town Planning Ordinance since the new planning board may collide with the above laws. If the above hurdles cannot be overcome, the government can set up a “soft law” platform without legal status to cultivate nature conservation and public participation.

8.4. Enhance cooperation of government and local communities

Capacity building and education of the local communities and the public are important in the long run. The government should provide capacity-building programs for local communities and the public. Closer communications between all sectors are required to formulate strategy to develop rural economy together. Trust has to be reestablished within the society to ensure a robust public participation.

9. Conclusion

Striking the balance between the interest of local communities and nature conservation is no easy task but bottom-up public participation in management can help to find the sweet spot to enhance the sustainability in protected areas. Apart from requiring more time and resources, public participation is beneficial to the society. Methods like allowing local communities in the planning bodies and volunteering are commonly found in the UK and Denmark. Hong Kong can learn from the European experience to revitalize the rural communities and better conserve the environment by achieving a higher level of public participation. A sincere government and capacity-building in local communities and the public are crucial in achieving it.

10. Reference

• Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department. "Conservation." afcd.gov.hk. 2015.

• Department for Communities and Local Government. "A Plain English Guide to the Localism Act." 2011.

• Kakabadze, Ekaterine. "Governance and Public Participation in PAs." EUROPARC Federation (2011): 24.

• Lo, Chan-yip. "促東平洲私地剔出郊野公園 村民斬樹抗議." Apple Daily, 2014.

• Peak District National Park Authority. "Peak District National Park." peakdistrict.gov.uk. 2015.

• Peak District National Park Authority. "Peak Sub Region Strategic Housing Market Assessment." 2008.

• Peak District National Park Authority. "A Summary of the Peak District National Park Management Plan." PDNPA, 2012.

• Parks and Wildlife Commission of the Northern Territory. "Public Participation in Protected Area Management Best Practice." 23: The Committee on National Parks and Protected Area Management, 2002.

• Svendsen, Ditte. "National Park in Denmark - Establishing the First One: Thy National Park." In Nature in Thy National Park. Thisted, Denmark: Biologisk Forening for Nordnestjylland 2010.

• World Wide Fund 2014. Country Park Enclaves Investigation Report. Hong Kong.

[1] HPDD Sub-Area is High Peak Derbyshire Dales Sub-Areas. It is the greater area of PDNP.