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National parks in China: Parks for people or for the nation?

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  • Wang, Ju-Han Zoe

Abstract

In 2017, China announced its first policy framework for establishing a national park system, along with ten pilot national parks. Rather than viewing the announcement from a techno-bureaucratic perspective, this paper considers the politics of the proposed national park system. Basing my argument upon a case study and employing discourse analysis, I argue that the top-down approach is prioritised in the planning and management of the national park system, and that the involvement of civil society groups in the making of China’s national parks does not guarantee an inclusive and bottom-up approach. From the 1970s onwards, worldwide the conservation paradigm gradually shifted to recognise the importance of a participatory and inclusive approach to protected area management. China’s moving away from such understanding and practice may eventually undermine the rights of local communities and threaten to hamper the conservation goals that the national parks aim to achieve.

Suggested Citation

  • Wang, Ju-Han Zoe, 2019. "National parks in China: Parks for people or for the nation?," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 825-833.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:lauspo:v:81:y:2019:i:c:p:825-833
    DOI: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2018.10.034
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    1. Qian Dong & Bo Zhang & Xiaomei Cai & Alastair M. Morrison, 2021. "Do Local Residents Support the Development of a National Park? A Study from Nanling National Park Based on Social Impact Assessment (SIA)," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-16, September.
    2. Xiangshou Dong & Quanzhi Yuan & Yaowen Kou & Shujun Li & Ping Ren, 2023. "Distribution and Ecological Network Construction of National Natural Protected Areas in the Upper Reaches of Yangtze River," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-18, January.
    3. Gonghan Sheng & Heyuan Chen & Kalifi Ferretti-Gallon & John L. Innes & Zhongjun Wang & Yujun Zhang & Guangyu Wang, 2020. "Moving toward a Greener China: Is China’s National Park Pilot Program a Solution?," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(12), pages 1-23, December.
    4. Jianying Xu & Feifei Fan & Yanxu Liu & Jianquan Dong & Jixing Chen, 2019. "Construction of Ecological Security Patterns in Nature Reserves Based on Ecosystem Services and Circuit Theory: A Case Study in Wenchuan, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(17), pages 1-15, September.
    5. Rumin Zheng & Shuo Zhen & Lin Mei & Hongqiang Jiang, 2021. "Ecotourism Practices in Potatso National Park from the Perspective of Tourists: Assessment and Developing Contradictions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-14, November.
    6. Hang Shu & Chunwang Xiao & Ting Ma & Weiguo Sang, 2021. "Ecological Health Assessment of Chinese National Parks Based on Landscape Pattern: A Case Study in Shennongjia National Park," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-15, October.
    7. Lee, Karen M.Y. & Lee, John C.K. & Ma, Anson T.H. & Cheung, Lewis T.O., 2019. "Does human rights awareness spur environmental activism? Hong Kong’s ‘country park’ controversy," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    8. Ben Ma & Yali Wen, 2019. "Community Participation and Preferences Regarding Conservation and Development Policies in China’s Giant Panda Nature Reserves," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(18), pages 1-17, September.
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    10. Kai Wang & Menghan Wang & Chang Gan & Qinchang Chen & Mihai Voda, 2021. "Tourism Economic Network Structural Characteristics of National Parks in the Central Region of China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-19, April.
    11. Ting Ma & Kun Xu & Yiming Xing & Hang Shu & Weiguo Sang, 2020. "Tendencies of Residents in Sanjiangyuan National Park to the Optimization of Livelihoods and Conservation of the Natural Reserves," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-17, June.
    12. Shaohan Wang & Shuang Song & Mengxi Shi & Shanshan Hu & Shuhan Xing & He Bai & Dawei Xu, 2023. "China’s National Park Construction Contributes to Carbon Peaking and Neutrality Goals," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(7), pages 1-22, July.
    13. Luo, Heng & Ye, Yanmei & Zhou, Chongwu & Zhao, Jinghui, 2024. "Collective participation in conservation easements in rural China: Evidence from the Qianjiangyuan National Park," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 163(C).
    14. Ionuț-Adrian Drăguleasa & Amalia Niță & Mirela Mazilu, 2023. "Capitalization of Tourist Resources in the Post-COVID-19 Period—Developing the Chorematic Method for Oltenia Tourist Destination, Romania," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-31, January.
    15. Chenyang Xue & Chaofeng Shao & Junli Gao, 2020. "Ecological Compensation Strategy for SDG-Based Basin-Type National Parks: A Case Study of the Baoxing Giant Panda National Park," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-16, May.
    16. Zhang, Junze & Yin, Nan & Li, Yan & Yu, Jianping & Zhao, Wenwu & Liu, Yanxu & Fu, Bojie & Wang, Shuai, 2020. "Socioeconomic impacts of a protected area in China: An assessment from rural communities of Qianjiangyuan National Park Pilot," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    17. Dou, Yuehan & Yu, Xiubo & Bakker, Martha & De Groot, Rudolf & Carsjens, Gerrit J. & Duan, Houlang & Huang, Chao, 2020. "Analysis of the relationship between cross-cultural perceptions of landscapes and cultural ecosystem services in Genheyuan region, Northeast China," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 43(C).
    18. Jian Peng & Honglin Xiao & Rui Wang & Yuanyuan Qi, 2022. "The Impacts of Establishing Pilot National Parks on Local Residents’ Livelihoods and Their Coping Strategies in China: A Case Study of Qilianshan National Park," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-21, March.
    19. Jiatong Li & Haiping Tang & Foyuan Kuang, 2023. "Exploring Livelihood Strategies of Farmers and Herders and Their Human Well-Being in Qilian Mountain National Park, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(11), pages 1-16, May.
    20. Ting Ma & Lizhi Jia & Linsheng Zhong & Xinyu Gong & Yu Wei, 2023. "Governance of China’s Potatso National Park Influenced by Local Community Participation," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(1), pages 1-19, January.

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