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Unraveling the roots of mangrove governance: Sustainable management and evolving policies in Panama

XV World Forestry Congress, 2-6 May 2022

Year of publication 2022

Place of publication Rome, Italy ;

Pages 11p.

Author Chamberland-Fontaine, S., Heckadon-Moreno, S., Hickey, G. M.

Publisher FAO ;

Product type Article

Synopsis (short abstract) Mangrove forests fulfill essential socio-ecological roles, such as providing timber and other forest products, protecting coasts against erosion and rising sea levels, supporting healthy fisheries, and fostering biodiversity. Within Latin America, Panama has experienced the highest rates of mangrove deforestation since 1980, despite the inclusion of a large extent of their mangrove forests in the National System of Protected Areas. Reasons reported for mangrove loss include noncompliance with regulations, limited multi-actor coordination, and growing trends of coastal development for industrial and commercial purposes. In response to these types of pressures, sustainable mangrove management (SMM) has emerged as an international policy objective (see the Bali Call to Action, 2017), aiming to address mangrove degradation and empower all relevant stakeholders to participate in governance processes. In this study we aim to advance international SMM policy dialogues, by learning from the challenges and opportunities associated with mangrove management in Panama. Findings suggest that SMM could benefit from a greater focus on strategies to enhance communication, collaboration, and trusting relationships between diverse stakeholders, as well as from a more cohesive vision for the sectoral uses of coastlines. Building on these findings, an analysis of Panama’s mangrove-specific policies is combined with insights drawn from key informant interviews with national-level mangrove policy actors to better understand the structural gaps and policy challenges. From the overlapping jurisdictions to competing management perspectives (conservation versus development), mangrove policies were found to be contradictory and fragmented. Potential strategies to overcome these challenges are discussed, and future research needs identified. Keywords: Collaborative governance; forest foods; wetland policy; Central America; tropical deforestation. ID: 3614496

Language English

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