Local peoples' values and disvalues in and around an Indian protected area undergoing urbanization
Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
Authors
Summary Urbanization has become a key pressure on many of the world's protected areas. This study investigates how local communities perceive landscape values and disvalues in and around Bannerghatta National Park (near Bengaluru, India), which is experiencing high rates of urban development at its peripheries. Using combined free-listing and Public Participation Geographic Information Systems (PPGIS) mapping, we surveyed 489 residents from 12 villages to elicit both landscape values and disvalues. Respondents mapped values such as biodiversity, fertile land and clean air, while disvalues focused on human-wildlife conflicts. Despite persistent conflicts and urbanization pressures, residents valued the National Park for its multiple landscape values. Both values and disvalues were concentrated around village areas. We find that socio-demographic factors - especially caste, land ownership and work in agriculture - significantly influenced perceptions. Specifically, marginalized caste members and landless individuals reported more disvalues, while landowners and farmers noted more values. Our study emphasizes the need to consider both landscape values and disvalues for balanced decision-making in protected areas. It also highlights the potential of free-listing to identify the well-being aspects that matter most for people, which points to the importance of agricultural uses in and around protected areas undergoing urbanization.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Environmental Conservation |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| ISSN | 0376-8929 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Accepted/In press - 2025 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s), 2025.
- Water Science and Technology
- Pollution
- Nature and Landscape Conservation
- Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law
- Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis
ASJC Scopus Subject Areas
- SDG 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities
- SDG 15 - Life on Land
Sustainable Development Goals
- Conservation conflicts, free-listing, India, protected areas, Public Participation Geographic Information Systems (PPGIS), urbanization
- Environmental Governance
