Assessing the utility of stakeholder analysis to Protected Areas management: The case of Corbett National Park, India

This study tests the potential utility of Stakeholder Analysis to Protected Area management. Using Corbett National Park (CNP), India, as a case study, Stakeholder Analysis (SA) was used to identify important stakeholder groups and assess their relationships, relative power and importance. This exercise was undertaken to assist the managers of CNP with future strategy formulation and implementation. The results demonstrate SA to be a simple, yet effective, method that can help PA managers understand the social dimensions of their undertaking, without waiting for long-term policy changes. The results reveal possible stakeholder alliances, and those that may need strengthening to guarantee the welfare of CNP. Divergent opinions on the same issue were also discovered. This underlines that addressing low levels of knowledge and misplaced information may be of strategic importance in reducing conflict against a PA. This research also helps theorize previously unexplored relationships among stakeholders in India, using the framework of Stakeholder Theory. Repeating the exercise on a regular basis could help PA managers monitor stakeholder interactions and political positions over time.