Environmental preservation when public policies are insufficient: an example of participatory protection of the Atlantic Forest in north-western Spain

Resumo

This article aims to explore the possibilities that exist for preserving natural spaces and their biodiversity in areas that are particularly complex due to population density, intensive monoculture agriculture, tourist pressure, or the high rate of forest fires exacerbated by the consequences of climate change, based on the design and implementation of a specific protection project in north-western Spain. It also transcends the usual coercive elements such as legislation, anticipating that political actors may not want to activate existing protection tools. Its methodology is based on the study of a successful case, public policy analysis techniques such as mapping key actors and interests, qualitative interviews, the study of the political, economic and social context, as well as the most relevant bibliography on the subject. The results show a field experience with a direct impact on land preservation and diversity in 16 hectares of ‘frondosas’ (broadleaf forest in the Atlantic forest), demonstrating that the legal or economic context is an ambivalent variable that can be used in favour of preservation. Thus, the conclusions align around the factor of feasibility, showing that elements of resistance such as economic performance, lax legislation, or the complexity of negotiating with highly diverse actors do not mean that preservation by local communities themselves is not possible.