INCLUSION OF COMMUNITIES IN THE CONSERVATION OF NATURAL AREAS. CASE OF CELAQUE MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK, HONDURAS

Conservation areas are often established by decree and labeled as Nature Reserves. National agencies dependent on governments are involved for protection, management and promotion. However, there are problems with community participation in areas near or within the buffer zones to implement development initiatives, largely due to anthropocentric and biocentric approaches applied that tend to exclude and confront people. This work aims to influence the design of projects to undertake development actions and long-term conservation together with the communities under an inclusive methodology. In the Celaque Mountain National Park, Honduras, obstacles to the implementation of conservation strategies were identified. Namely: a participatory methodological model was designed and adapted in a first stage; in a second stage, 12 communities with presence in the buffer zone were diagnosed. This methodological approach included communities in decision-making process for projects definitions. It is concluded that the communities where the methodology was used were more willing to participate and get involved in conservation actions, when their story was listened, and their leadership and local knowledge of the territory were considered to generate sustainable livelihoods. However, the methodology does not guarantee success in project implementation, but it contributes to the identification of potential conflict issues that affect conservation statuses of the areas of influence and core areas of nature reserves.