WHY LOCAL PEOPLE DO NOT WANT TO CONSERVE WETLAND NATURE RESERVE: COMMUNITY PERCEPTIONS OF LIVELIHOOD IMPACTS, GOVERNANCE, AND MANAGEMENT IN BORDER BELT THANH PHU DISTRICT, BEN TRE PROVINCE, VIETNAMHue Ha Thi Thu, Thang Hoang Van and Dong Le KhacAbstract The local community is one of the important factors in conservation, especially awareness of the people and the harmonious settlement of interests among the stakeholders. Wetland Conservation Areas are an effective natural resource conservation tool, the great contribution for wave breakers and saline intrusion prevention, having many positive and negative impacts on the economy and society of local people. This study was conducted in 3 communes of Thanh Phu Wetland Nature reserve, Ben Tre Province, where the livelihoods of communities are closely dependent on resources from the wetland. 249 households were interviewed along with in-depth interviews with local leaders to find out peopleâs perceptions of conservation through their main livelihood activities. The conflict between conservation and development is still a problem for managers, sustainable forest management plans for Thanh Phu need to be developed, in which benefit sharing and support should be paid attention, livelihoods and improving living conditions for those engaged in forestry work. |