Bennett, Nathan
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Nathan Bennett has worked as a researcher, university instructor, teacher, guide, international development worker, and sustainability-conservation educator. An environmental and social ethic shaped by lifelong explorations of wilderness areas and experiences working in diverse communities guides Nathan Bennett’s work and research. As an early career social scientist, Nathan chooses to primarily focus on research projects that interrogate the relationship between conservation and development through a solution-oriented lens. His master’s research focused on the role of a Canadian national park in the social, cultural, political, and economic development of the Lutsel K’e Dene First Nation of Lutsel K’e, Northwest Territories, Canada. For this work, Nathan was awarded the Robin P. Armstrong Award by the Canadian Association of Geographers. Nathan’s doctoral research, as part of the Marine Protected Areas Research Group at the University of Victoria, focuses on various aspects of the relationship between marine protected areas, climate change, and local livelihoods on the Andaman coast of Thailand. Nathan is currently a lead researcher on Project IMPAACT: Improving Marine Protected Areas on the Andaman Coast of Thailand under a Climate Change Regime. Nathan is also a Scholar of the Trudeau Foundation, a SSHRC Joseph Armand Bombardier Canada Graduate Scholar, and a Fellow of the Protected Areas and Poverty Reduction Project. For more information about Nathan and his activities you can visit his website at http://nathanbennett.ca/.
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Item The conservation social sciences: An overview and a process for setting a research agenda(2015) Bennett, Nathan; Roth, Robin; Klain, Sarah; Chan, Kai M.A.; Clark, Douglas A.; Cullman, Georgina; Epstein, Graham; Nelson, Michael Paul; Stedman, Richard; Teel, Tara L.; Thomas, Rebecca E.W.; Wyborn, CarinaItem Introducing the conservation social sciences(2015) Bennett, Nathan; Roth, RobinItem The conservation social sciences: What?, how? and why?: a report for conservation organizations, foundations, practitioners, agencies and researchers(2015) Bennett, Nathan; Roth, RobinEach of the fields of conservation social science has made and can make a unique contribution to understanding the relationship between humans and nature and to improving conservation outcomes. Conservation scientists, practitioners and organizations recognize the importance of the conservation social sciences and are increasingly engaging in and funding conservation social science research. Yet conservation organizations and funders often lack a clear understanding of the breadth of the conservation social sciences, the types of questions that each field of conservation social science poses, the methods used by disciplinary specialists, or the potential contribution of each field of conservation social science to improving conservation practice and outcomes. Limited social science capacity and knowledge within conservation organizations may also mean that conservation practitioners and organizations looking to fund conservation social science research do not know where or how to begin defining a social science research agenda. This report presents a series of papers that were given as part of a workshop titled “The conservation social sciences: Clarifying ‘what?’, “how?’ and ‘why?’ to inform conservation practice” that occurred at the North American Congress for Conservation Biology in Missoula, Montana in July 2014. The workshop brought together specialists from the breadth of the conservation social sciences to define the contributions of their disciplines and fields to conservation through exploring the ‘what?’, ‘how?’ and ‘why?’ of each area of expertise. The resultant report aims to stimulate dialogue among conservation organizations, foundations, agencies, practitioners and researchers about the role of the conservation social sciences. It is intended to build capacity, promote knowledge and foster engagement with conservation social sciences in order to improve conservation practice and outcomes. The first chapter of the report introduces the conservation social sciences. The body of the report provides succinct synopses of the different conservation social sciences by specialists in Psychology, Economics, Sociology, Anthropology, Political Science and Governance, Human Dimensions, Political Ecology, Ethics, Education and Communication, Conservation and Development, and Science and Technology Studies. The concluding chapter a) provides a broad overview of the topics explored, questions asked, methods used and contributions made by each field of conservation social science and b) presents a process by which conservation organizations or funders can define and prioritize a conservation social science research agenda. We propose five steps to guide organizations wishing to better employ the conservation social sciences: 1) Recognize and overcome organizational barriers to incorporating conservation social sciences and build support for and understanding of the conservation social sciences; 2) Identify the conservation problem(s) that the organization aims to address and highlight their social dimensions; 3) Partner with social scientist(s) to frame key topics, questions and approach; 4) Brainstorm key topics for investigation or research questions and prioritize them to establish a conservation social science agenda; and 5) Partner with, contract or hire conservation social scientist(s) to carry out the work.Item Ecologically sustainable but unfair?: Negotiating equity and authority in common-pool marine resource management(Resilience Alliance, 2014) Bennett, Nathan; Beveridge, Rachelle; Klain, SarahUnder appropriate conditions, community-based fisheries management can support sound resource stewardship, with positive social and environmental outcomes. Evaluating indigenous peoples’ involvement in commercial sea cucumber and geoduck fisheries on the central coast of British Columbia, Canada, we found that the current social-ecological system configuration is relatively ecologically sustainable according to stock assessments. However, the current system also results in perceived inequities in decision-making processes, harvesting allocations, and socioeconomic benefits. As a result, local coastal resource managers envision a transformation of sea cucumber and geoduck fisheries governance and management institutions. We assessed the potential robustness of the proposed institutions using Elinor Ostrom’s common-pool resource design principles. Grounded in the region’s legal, political, and historical context, our analysis suggests that greater local involvement in these invertebrate fisheries and their management could provide more benefits to local communities than the status quo while maintaining an ecologically sustainable resource. Our research highlights the importance of explicitly addressing historical context and equity considerations in social-ecological system analyses and when renegotiating the institutions governing common-pool resources.Item From measuring outcomes to providing inputs: Governance, management, and local development for more effective marine protected areas(Elsevier, 2014) Bennett, Nathan; Dearden, PhilipMarine protected areas (MPAs) have the potential to conserve marine resources as well as provide social and economic benefits to local communities. Yet the percentage of MPAs that might be considered “successful” or effective on ecological and/or socio-economic accounts is debatable. Measurement of biophysical and socio-economic outcome indicators has become de rigeur for examining MPA management effectiveness so that adaptive feedback loops can stimulate new management actions. Scholars and practitioners alike have suggested that more attention should be given to the inputs that are likely to lead to successful MPA outcomes. This paper briefly discusses the potential ecological and socio-economic outcomes of MPAs then reviews the literature on three categories of inputs – governance, management, and local development – that lead to effective MPAs. In conclusion, the paper presents a novel inputs framework that incorporates indicators for governance, management and development to be used in the design and analysis of MPAs.Item Conversation, community benefit, capacity building and social economy: A case study Łutsël K’e and the proposed national park(Lakehead University, 2009) Bennett, NathanIn 2001, 32 years after the Government of Canada initially proposed a national park on the East Arm of Great Slave Lake in the traditional territory of the Łutsël K’e Dene First Nation, Chief Felix Lockhart indicated to Parks Canada that the community was interested in discussing the idea. In 2006, an MOU was signed between the Government of Canada and the Łutsël K’e Dene First Nation that has lead to the withdrawal of an area of 33,525 km2 while studies, negotiations and consultations take place. The people of Łutsël K’e, Northwest Territories still have significant questions about how the creation of a national park will affect the local community and how to maximize local benefit should the park be created. This exploratory study investigated several lines of questioning related to community development and benefit, capacity building and the role of the social economy utilizing action research guided by appreciative inquiry. To gain the most insight into these issues this study used a triangulation of perspectives, employing a combination of ethnographic and formal interviews to collect data from various groups within and outside the community. The results from this research are presented in three parts. The first chapter of results focuses on perceived and desired community benefits of the creation of a national park. The second chapter discusses emergent themes related to capacity building for tourism development in the community and presents a contextual and emergent model and definition. The final chapter of results presents a discussion of the role of the social economy in supporting community development related to the creation of the park.Item A picture of change: Using photovoice to explore social and environmental change in coastal communities on the Andaman Coast of Thailand(Taylor and Francis, 2013) Bennett, Nathan; Dearden, PhilipCoastal communities experience a wide array of environmental and social changes to which they must constantly adapt. Further, a community's perception of change and risk has significant implications for a community's willingness and ability to adapt to both current and future changes. As part of a larger study focusing on the adaptive capacity of communities on the Andaman Coast of Thailand, we used Photovoice to open a dialogue with communities about changes in the marine environment and in coastal communities. This article presents the results of two exploratory Photovoice processes and discusses prospects for using the Photovoice method for exploring social and environmental change. Changes examined included a number of broader environmental and social trends as well as ecological specifics and social particularities in each site. Participants also explored the social implications of environmental changes, the impacts of macro-scale processes on local outcomes, and emotive and active responses of individuals and communities to change. Photovoice is deemed a powerful method for: examining social, environmental, and socio-ecological change, triangulating to confirm the results of other scientific methods, revealing novel ecological interactions, and providing input into community processes focusing on natural resource management, community development, and climate change adaptation.Item The capacity to adapt?: communities in a changing climate, environment, and economy on the northern Andaman coast of Thailand(Ecology and Society, 2014) Bennett, Nathan; Dearden, Philip; Murray, Grant; Kadfak, AlinThe health and productivity of marine ecosystems, habitats, and fisheries are deteriorating on the Andaman coast of Thailand. Because of their high dependence on natural resources and proximity to the ocean, coastal communities are particularly vulnerable to climate-induced changes in the marine environment. These communities must also adapt to the impacts of management interventions and conservation initiatives, including marine protected areas, which have livelihood implications. Further, communities on the Andaman coast are also experiencing a range of new economic opportunities associated in particular with tourism and agriculture. These complex and ongoing changes require integrated assessment of, and deliberate planning to increase, the adaptive capacity of communities so that they may respond to: (1) environmental degradation and fisheries declines through effective management interventions or conservation initiatives, (2) new economic opportunities to reduce dependence on fisheries, and (3) the increasing impacts of climate change. Our results are from a mixed methods study, which used surveys and interviews to examine multiple dimensions of the adaptive capacity of seven island communities near marine protected areas on the Andaman coast of Thailand. Results show that communities had low adaptive capacity with respect to environmental degradation and fisheries declines, and to management and conservation interventions, as well as uneven levels of adaptive capacity to economic opportunities. Though communities and households were experiencing the impacts of climate change, especially storm events, changing seasons and weather patterns, and erosion, they were reacting to these changes with limited knowledge of climate change per se. We recommend interventions, in the form of policies, programs, and actions, at multiple scales for increasing the adaptive capacity of Thailand’s coastal communities to change. The analytical and methodological approach used for examining adaptive capacity could be easily modified and applied to other contexts and locales.Item Situating the eco-social economy: Conservation initiatives and environmental organizations as catalysts for social and economic development(Oxford Journals, 2014) Bennett, Nathan; Lemelin, HarveyThis paper uses an empirical study to demonstrate the emergence of an eco-social economy in the Canadian North. Historically, conservation was seen as a way to protect nature with the exclusion of local communities and traditional activities. However, critiques of the impacts of strict conservation on local communities has lead to a somewhat different orientation within the conservation community. The new position seeks to reconcile conservation with community development. This shift in thinking, often adopted by environmental non-governmental organizations (ENGOs), could be seen to represent a shift towards an eco-social economy. The conservation with development mandate of ENGOs might also be more akin to the holistic way that traditional communities approach conservation since humans and nature are seen as interconnected. In indigenous ways of seeing, culture, society, and economy cannot be separated from environment. Conservation, from this perspective, becomes about cultural revitalization and engaging with appropriate development models. This paper focuses on the case study of the Lutsel K’e Dene First Nation and the Thaidene Nene protected area in Canada to demonstrate that: 1) for local and indigenous people conservation is as much a social, economic, political, and cultural endeavor as it is about protection of nature; 2) local social economy organizations are emerging to advocate for conservation cum social and economic development; and, 3) ENGOs are also aligning their conservation mandates with the broader social, economic, and cultural goals of northern indigenous communities. To situate the paper, the authors argue for a more inclusive definition of the social economy that incorporates environmental organizations and conservation initiatives and movements and that makes explicit a distinct eco-social economy.Item Vulnerability to multiple stressors in coastal communities: A study of the Andaman Coast of Thailand(Taylor and Francis, 2014) Bennett, Nathan; Dearden, Philip; Peredo, Ana MariaVulnerability and adaptation to climate change has become a dominant theme in development and conservation research and work. Yet coastal communities are facing a wider array of different stressors that affect the sustainability of natural resources and the adaptive capacity of local residents. The ability of communities and households to adapt is influenced by the nature, number, and magnitude of the changes with which they have to contend. In this paper, we present the range of 36 socio-economic (i.e., economic, social, governance and conflict) and biophysical (i.e., climate change and other environmental) stressors that emerged from qualitative interviews in 7 coastal communities on the Andaman coast of Thailand. These stressors were then integrated into a quantitative survey of 237 households wherein participants were asked to rate the level of impact of these stressors on household livelihoods. Ratings showed that economic and some climate change stressors – extreme weather events and changes in rainfall patterns and seasons – were scored higher than other stressors. The paper also examines the relationships between community and various individual and household characteristics – such as gender, age, livelihoods, levels of social capital, and socio-economic status - and the perceived level of impacts of various stressors on household livelihoods. Overall, community and livelihoods had the most differentiated impacts on perceptions of stressors but few other prominent patterns emerged. In conclusion, this paper discusses the implications of the results for current climate change vulnerability and adaptation policy and practice in Thailand and elsewhere.Item Drawing the future together: Adapting to change and creating the community and environment that we envision(Marine Protected Areas Research Group, University of Victoria, 2014) Bennett, Nathan; Kadfak, Alin; Dearden, PhilipCoastal fishing communities everywhere in the world are experiencing significant environmental and social changes. In many places, the health and productivity of the marine environment is threatened by overfishing, coastal development, and pollution. Fisheries are often in decline. The climate is changing – bringing rising sea levels, warmer temperatures, changing seasons and rainfall patterns, and more severe storms. These environmental changes bring about changes in livelihoods, quality of life and customs. Communities are also subject to the whims of global economies, national politics and demographics. Broader environmental, political and economic changes can also lead to new policies and programs that impact communities. Change is constant. Whatever the root cause of change, communities have no choice but to adapt. The manner in which adaptation occurs can be proactive or reactive and results can be beneficial or detrimental. In June 2013, our research team conducted community-based scenario planning workshops in two coastal fishing villages on the Andaman coast of Thailand. Scenario planning is a group visioning process that is used to explore solutions to a central issue or question. The central question of this workshop was: “How can coastal communities achieve good outcomes for community development and the environment in a changing climate?” The workshop consisted of four stages over two days and participatory activities were used to: investigate the types of social and environmental changes that are being experienced in Ban Tapae Yoi from the perspective of local community members, to explore the hopes and dreams of local community members for the future of their community and the local environment, and to propose and prioritize actions that will help the community to adapt to these changes.Item The future we want: Taking action in Ban Talae Nok for the community, the environment and climate change(Marine Protected Areas Research Group, University of Victoria, 2014) Bennett, Nathan; Kadfak, Alin; Dearden, PhilipCoastal fishing communities everywhere in the world are experiencing significant environmental and social changes. In many places, the health and productivity of the marine environment is threatened by overfishing, coastal development, and pollution. Fisheries are often in decline. The climate is changing – bringing rising sea levels, warmer temperatures, changing seasons and rainfall patterns, and more severe storms. These environmental changes bring about changes in livelihoods, quality of life and customs. Communities are also subject to the whims of global economies, national politics and demographics. Broader environmental, political and economic changes can also lead to new policies and programs that impact communities. Change is constant. Whatever the root cause of change, communities have no choice but to adapt. The manner in which adaptation occurs can be proactive or reactive and results can be beneficial or detrimental. In July 2013, our research team conducted community-based scenario planning workshops in two coastal fishing villages on the Andaman coast of Thailand. Scenario planning is a group visioning process that is used to explore solutions to a central issue or question. The central question of this workshop was: “How can coastal communities achieve good outcomes for community development and the environment in a changing climate?” The workshop consisted of four stages over two days and participatory activities were used to: investigate the types of social and environmental changes that are being experienced in Ban Talae Nok from the perspective of local community members, to explore the hopes and dreams of local community members for the future of their community and the local environment, and to propose and prioritize actions that will help the community to adapt to these changes.Item A capital assets framework for appraising and building capacity for tourism development in aboriginal protected area gateway communities(Elsevier Ltd., 2012) Bennett, Nathan; Lemelin, Raynald H.; Koster, Rhonda; Budke, IsabelTourism may constitute an important livelihood option and conservation incentive for communities located near protected areas (PAs). Gateway communities can benefit significantly from the development of tourism through increased employment, financial gains, infrastructure creation, cultural revitalization, and environmental protection. Yet, tourism is not a panacea for PA communities and the development of a local tourism industry often fails to deliver significant economic, social, cultural, and environmental benefits. Clearly defined frameworks for maximizing the benefits from tourism development for PA communities are needed so that tourism can more directly support community development and conservation efforts. This paper presents a framework for appraising and building community capacity for tourism development in aboriginal protected area gateway communities. The framework was developed through the analysis of qualitative results from five different research projects around seven capital assets (i.e., natural, physical and built, financial, political and institutional, social, cultural, and human capitals). Preliminary results from application and testing of the framework are also explored. The framework presented herein has significant potential for broader application in non-aboriginal, international, and non-protected area communities.Item From outcomes to inputs: What is required to achieve the ecological and socioeconomic potential of marine protected areas?(Marine Protected Areas Research Group/University of Victoria, 2012) Bennett, Nathan; Dearden, PhilipMarine protected areas (MPAs) are one tool that has been shown to be effective for achieving marine conservation objectives. MPAs might also result in beneficial social and economic outcomes for local communities through, for example, increasing fish abundance and the resultant spillover into surrounding fisheries or the creation of alternative livelihoods. Yet the percentage of MPAs that might be considered “successful” on ecological and/or socio-economic accounts is debatable. MPA scholars and conservation organizations alike have suggested that much remains to be understood about what the requirements are for successful implementation and operation of MPAs. It is on this problem that this paper focuses through asking: “What inputs are required to achieve the potential ecological, social, and economic outcomes of marine protected areas?” In this paper, we discuss the potential positive and negative outcomes of MPAs and explore the inputs required to achieve balanced and beneficial outcomes while giving consideration to the implications of local and macro contexts. Moreover, we suggest that a tripartite approach to MPA implementation and operations that gives appropriate and contextualized attention to governance, management, and development is more likely to lead to successful MPA outcomes as there are inherent feedbacks between the three inputs.Item Aboriginal and local perspectives on the community benefits of conservation: A case study of a proposed Canadian National Park and the Lutsel K’e Dene First Nation(Geography Research Forum, 2010) Bennett, Nathan; Lemelin, Raynard; Ellis, StephenLutsel K’e, Northwest Territories, is a rural Aboriginal (Dene) community with a population of 400 that could soon become the gateway to the third largest national park in Canada. The Thaidene Nene Working Group of the Lutsel K’e Dene First Nation is interested in the potential of the park in contributing to local socio-economic development. A collaborative research project with researchers from Lakehead University in Canada, examined various perspectives on how to maximize local development potentials in the community, with the purpose of providing information to the community and Parks Canada for direct use in park and community planning and development. This descriptive paper focuses on local and Aboriginal community member perspectives on the perceived and desired benefits of the creation of a national park in the traditional territory of the Lutsel K’e Dene First Nation.Item A critical analysis of Ontario’s resource-based tourism policy(Journal of Rural and Community Development, 2010) Bennett, Nathan; Lemelin, RaynardConflicts between resource-based industries and resource-based tourism are commonplace, complex, and long lived. The Resource-Based Tourism Policy (Government of Ontario, 1997) was one of a number of documents produced by the Government of Ontario in response to such conflicts in Northern Ontario, Canada. Yet in the 13 years since the policy was produced, there has been no research to examine either the impact or effectiveness of this document in achieving its stated goal: “to promote and encourage the development of the Ontario resource-based tourism industry in both an ecologically and economically sustainable manner” (Government of Ontario, 1997, p. 1). This article reviews the context within which the policy operates, summarizes the policy document, and questions both the impact and effectiveness of the Resource-Based Tourism Policy based on five critiques: (a) the level of transparency, collaboration, and representation in the policy’s development; (b) the unity of the policy direction and actions; (c) the incorporation of science into proposed policy solutions; (d) the adaptability of the policy to changing industry and contextual trends; and (e) the completeness of the policy’s implementation. In conclusion, we suggest that it is time to revisit, reexamine, adapt, and update this policy document in consideration of current trends in the industry and contextual factors.Item Using the social economy in tourism: A study of national park creation and community development in the Northwest Territories, Canada(Journal of Rural and Community Development, 2010) Bennett, Nathan; Lemelin, Raynard; Johnston, Margaret; Łutsël K’e Dene First NationThe primary concern of social-economy organizations is the social and economic well-being of individuals in the communities where they work. However, social, economic, and environmental considerations also play a role in the wider community or regional spheres of development. In the Canadian North, local and regional development strategies are linked in many places to a growing number of large-scale conservation efforts, such as parks and protected areas, that can have important positive and negative roles. As a result of their social and economic interests, social-economy organizations might become involved in these community development strategies linked to conservation. This paper explores such involvement by outlining a collaborative community research project undertaken in Łutsël K’e, Northwest Territories, the gateway community to a proposed national park. The research is based on a series of interviews with community members and external parties with particular development responsibilities. The paper explores the ways in which social-economy organizations might facilitate rural community tourism development related to the creation of the park. The paper also considers several activities and approaches that could enhance the support provided by social-economy organizationsItem Maximizing Łutsël K'e community benefit from the proposed national park through capacity building and the social economy(Łutsël K’e Dene Band; Lakehead University, 2009) Bennett, Nathan; Lemelin, HarveyThe primarily Dene First Nation community of of !utsël K’e, Northwest Territories, located 200km east of Yellowknife on the East Arm of Great Slave Lake, is questioning the implications of the creation of a national park in their traditional territory and on the local community and how to maximize local benefit. This document explores the results of a collaboratively developed research project that focused on: 1) perceived and desired community development outcomes related to the creation of a national park; 2) capacity building for the maximization of local benefit; and 3) the role of the social economy in facilitating social and economic development related to park creation. Prior to exploring these three areas of focus, the first section explores the context of this study and provides a brief history of the national park proposal for the East Arm of Great Slave Lake. The research process, methodology and methods are also outlined in this section. The second section of this document explores community perceptions of the reasons that the community initially opposed the formation of a national park and the factors that may have caused the community’s position to change and provides an overview of the perceived and desired community benefits of the park’s creation. A discussion of emergent themes related to capacity building for tourism development, for capitalizing on potential employment and contract opportunities, and for non-economic development is provided in the third section. The fourth section examines the role of the social economy in facilitating community development related to the creation of the park. Recommendations for applying the results of this research are highlighted throughout the document. The goal of this document has been to provide information for the Łutsël K’e Dene First Nation and the Parks Canada agency and to support the maximization of local community development as the formation of the national park proceeds.Item Scoping study on migrant fishers and transboundary fishing in the Bay of Bengal(BOBLME, 2012) Kadfak, Alin; Bennett, Nathan; Prugsmatz, RapheallaThe scoping study relates to the assessment of the issue of migratory and transboundary fishing as highlighted above. It will explore the background to the issues and provide specific insight into both (i) working conditions (including reference to safety at sea, as appropriate) on fishing vessels operating outside of national waters, and (ii) issues pertaining to rights of fishing labour and extent of use of legal and illegal foreign labour. The study will cover issues concerning both nationals from the vessel port country and those concerning foreign workers from neighbouring countries. The scoping study will further (iii) cover boats and crews arrested for fishing in traditional fishing grounds that are now part of another country’s EEZ as a result of UNCLOS (either as deliberate acts or due to "straying" across boundaries). The report is broken down into an introduction, three substantive chapters, and a conclusion. The introduction provides definitions and introduces the methodology. The subsequent chapters explore migrant fishers and trafficking, transboundary fishing and arrests, and governance and management of these issues. In conclusion, the report provides a number of recommendations for action and further research.