What strategies make compatible the stakes of nature conservation and the stakes of economic growth in protected area? Example of El Kala National Park, Algeria

Abstract

Public policies to protect natural environments are becoming increasingly integrated in many countries. However , in some countries, nature management policies do not pay much attention to issues raised by local populations, especially development issues. These seem often incompatible with the logic of protection of nature defended by the national administrations. Recent studies show that there are ways to make these issues compatible. The knowledge on this subject is still weak for the southern shore of the Mediterranean region. Our study focuses on the case of a natural park located in the northeast of Algeria: the sector of the El Kala National Park (EKNP). This territory faces a double strategic ambition: to strengthen the protection of nature but also to develop the agricultural economy and tourism. Our method relies on the analysis of 3 types of data: national statistics of Algeria, conservation and development strategy documents and satellite data. Our study shows an increase in the area of EKNP vegetation between 1995 and 2005.