Inclusion of social values, priorities, and motivations for mangrove conservation in Bhitarkanika, India

Abstract The discourse on mangrove conservation has typically used the ecosystem services narrative– nature as the service provider, to develop management regimes across the globe. In contrast, the emphasis on the reciprocal nature of human relationships with these forests, that is, how local human communities relate with, perceive, and maintain these seascapes, has received little attention. This study distinguishes the value-preference paradigm in a protected mangrove forest region, Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary, on the east coast of India. We ask how exclusion impacts local values, motivations, and priorities towards mangrove forest conservation. Using the Q-methodology, a mixed method approach, we identify the narratives that dominate the human-mangrove reciprocal sphere. Our findings reveal three distinct narratives: livelihood security that calls for both current and perceived focus on quality-of-life attributes in the region closely related to the livelihoods of the local people, conservation value through management which drives the management regime of this region, and sense of place that reinforces the importance of recognizing social and cultural norms. These narratives are also influenced by gender, accentuating the need for more gender sensitive approaches in value-preference literature and conservation policies. A value-centered approach that looks at how people perceive, value, and prioritize mangrove conservation narratives illuminates the assumptions of conventional neoliberal approaches in identifying differences and similarities in people’s value systems that shape their understanding, interests, and interactions with their environment.