The role of Co-management in enabling livelihoods change in context of creating natural reserves

Abstract: Nowadays Chinese government pays more and more attention to environmental protection.The number of nature reserves and the size of protected areas have increased sharply in China.The establishment of nature reserves limits economic development of surroundingcommunities to some extent. Co-management is chosen as a strategy for handling thecontradiction between environmental protection and community development. This paperchose NabanHe National Nature Reserve (NNNR) as case study. It overviewed thebackground of NNNR, and analyzed livelihoods change brought about by activities ofco-management. On the basis of this analysis, it discusses how co-management enableslivelihoods change in context of creating natural reserves. It also discusses the rights andduties involved in co-management arrangement.