"Protected Area Co-Management in the Context of State Conservation and Development: Comparing Cases in Costa Rica and Colombia." Journal of Latin American Geography vol. 24 no. 2, 2025, p. 71-101.
Abstract: Parque Nacional Cahuita and Parque Nacional Natural Uramba Bahía Málaga are the first national parks in Costa Rica and Colombia, respectively, that are co-managed by the state and the community. Both co-management arrangements are between state governments and communities of primarily African descent, populations marginalized by enduring colonial logics within both states. Comparing the stories of these two communities and how they achieved park co-management offers insights into the potential and limitations of co-management as a way for Afro-Latin Americans to assert their environmental rights. It also illustrates how different contexts of struggle result in distinct co-management experiences, including differences in co-management precarity, local engagement, and perceived effectiveness. Drawing on historical documents and qualitative research in both Costa Rica and Colombia, this paper offers a critical analysis of how co-management intersects with state conservation practices and impacts local communities and environments in complex and often incoherent ways.
