Can a Suboptimal Form of Participation in Natural Resource Management Contribute to Local Sustainable Development? A Case Study from Tumpu, Taiwan

Abstract

Some previous studies have argued that a natural resource management system considering a high level of participatory processes is more contributive to local sustainable development. However, the extent of participatory processes vary from case to case, and so do their contributions towards local sustainability. The research discovers a knowledge gap that there are not so many attentions on the diverse outcomes resulted from the natural resources management system which fails to take into account an optimal form of local participation. Therefore, the research question is ‘how and to what extent does natural resource management based on a suboptimal form of local participation affect local sustainable development?’ The natural resource management system with a suboptimal form of participation is set as the independent variable in the research, and the local sustainability performance is the dependent variable. In order to scrutinize the causal relation between two variables, an analytical framework is addressed, and it is applied to an in-depth case study of Tumpu Neighborhood in Taiwan. The neighborhood has been controlled by Yushan National Park administration since 1985. Their ongoing interaction and relationship worth studying. The main findings are that the natural resource management carried out in Tumpu Neighborhood is mainly based on a top-down and state-based approach. However, few local-based initiatives as well as collaborations between the authority and the neighborhood can also be observed in the case study. According to the empirical evidences, this research argues that a natural resource management system based on a suboptimal form of participation can affects local sustainability performance positively if it meets several factors such as the positive attitude of initiators, the sufficiency of local capability to deal with community affairs, and a trustworthy relationship between all stakeholders. In the end of the report, the research also provides some recommendations for decision-makers and operators who are conducting similar projects and attempts to fulfill sustainable development at a local level.