ANNOUNCEMENTS
MPAs are important conservation tools with an aim to protect the endangered species and preserve the heritage. Currently the MPAs in India and other parts of the world have become a controversial topic of discussion due to its embeddedness in the wider social systems and the conflicts surrounding it. Though these are promoted enthusiastically to protect the endangered species, the implications arising due to its implantation on the existing space and systems which are diverse and complex in nature are ignored quite often. The conflicts arise due to the exclusive nature of the governors,difficulties in implementation and lack of understanding of the traditional practices and issues of social justice. The study examines one of the MPA Bhitarkanika National Park and the Gahirmatha Marine Wildlife Sanctuary located in Odisha, through the system approach which identifies MPAs as the “Governing system” and also the “systems to be governed” and the social conflicts arising in it which further aggravates a need for interactive governance approach for good governance and management of the area. Bhitarkanika is a unique habitat comprising of the three ecosystems the river ecosystem, the marine ecosystem and the forest (Mangrove) ecosystem. It’s a sanctuary and a finally notified National Park and one side of the National Park is the coastal boundary which is the Gahirmatha Sanctuary. The study aims to understand the linkages between the livelihoods, conservation and the governance mechanisms in the Bhitarkanika and Gahirmatha Marine Protected Area with a goal to assess its management effectiveness.
Keywords: Marine Protected Areas, governance, conservation, challenges, management.
