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Machiel Lamers

This book discusses concerns for the sensitive environments and ecosystems of Antarctica and looks ahead to the state of the continent as it might be in 2060. At the beginning of the 21st century, Antarctica stands at the edge of a warmer... more
This book discusses concerns for the sensitive environments and ecosystems of Antarctica and looks ahead to the state of the continent as it might be in 2060. At the beginning of the 21st century, Antarctica stands at the edge of a warmer and busier world. The editors have gathered leading researchers to examine the challenges of Antarctic environmental governance, and to address such important questions as: What future will Business-As-Usual bring to the Antarctic environment? Will a Business-As-Usual future be compatible with the objectives set out under the Antarctic Treaty, especially its Protocol on Environmental Protection? What actions are necessary to bring about alternative futures for the next 50 years? An introductory chapter sets the scene by tracing the history of human activities, and the development of international legislation and other governance initiatives, for managing environmental impacts in Antarctica. Section A: Species and Ecosystems examines the future stat...
ABSTRACT Tourism-conservation enterprises (TCEs), such as eco-lodges, are a relatively new strategy of the African Wildlife Foundation for enhancing community livelihoods and wildlife conservation in wildlife-rich areas outside... more
ABSTRACT Tourism-conservation enterprises (TCEs), such as eco-lodges, are a relatively new strategy of the African Wildlife Foundation for enhancing community livelihoods and wildlife conservation in wildlife-rich areas outside state-protected areas in sub-Saharan Africa. This article investigates the extent to which TCEs succeed in meeting these objectives by focusing on two enterprises in Kenya: the Sanctuary at Ol Lentille and the Koija Starbeds. Empirical data were gathered between October 2010 and March 2013 through semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, literature review and document analysis. Both TCEs demonstrated significant contributions to employment, education, healthcare and security. Compared with the Starbeds, the Sanctuary realised a much larger conservation area and more pronounced biodiversity recovery. The analysis showed that the contribution of TCEs to livelihoods and biodiversity conservation depends on the nature of the partnership arrangement, as well as the local, national and international contexts in which they operate.
ABSTRACT Since the early 1990s, nature conservation organizations in Eastern and Southern Africa have increasingly attempted to integrate their objectives with those of international development organizations, the land-use objectives of... more
ABSTRACT Since the early 1990s, nature conservation organizations in Eastern and Southern Africa have increasingly attempted to integrate their objectives with those of international development organizations, the land-use objectives of local communities and the commercial objectives of tourism businesses, in order to find new solutions for the protection of nature and wildlife outside state-protected areas. The increased inclusion of the market in conservation initiatives has led to diverse institutional arrangements involving various societal actors, such as private game reserves, conservancies and conservation enterprises. The Koija Starbeds ecolodge in Kenya – a partnership between communities, private investors and a non-governmental organization – serves as a case study for emerging institutional arrangements aimed at enabling value creation for communities from nature conservation. Based on a content analysis of data from individual semi-structured interviews and focus group interviews, as well as a document and literature review, this article reveals a range of benefits for community livelihood and conservation. It also identifies a range of longer term governance challenges, such as the need to address local political struggles, the relations between partners and transparency and accountability in the arrangement.
ABSTRACT Tourism in Antarctica has grown substantially over recent decades and has diversified into different activities and modes of transport. This paper presents a first attempt to explore the implications of this diversification trend... more
ABSTRACT Tourism in Antarctica has grown substantially over recent decades and has diversified into different activities and modes of transport. This paper presents a first attempt to explore the implications of this diversification trend for Antarctic tourist experiences, wildlife and onsite management. Evidence from a passenger survey, participatory observations and expert interviews using video elicitation has been collected during, and in the context of, a diving expedition cruise. The data suggests that significant differences can be detected in the way divers and non-divers experience aspects of the trip, most notably regarding guides. The results also indicate that diverse activities generate a broader variance in attitudes and behaviours, which may have repercussions for wildlife, site use and onsite management. Given the diversification trend it is timely and necessary to revisit and consistently enforce site guidelines and visitor guidelines with an eye on multi-activity trips. In addition, further studies on the implications of this trend are needed by means of case studies, surveys looking at a wider range of tourist trips, and monitoring programmes assessing wildlife behaviour and impacts.
... Comparing two regional water management regimes in the Rhine basin Sabine Möllenkamp1, Machiel Lamers2, Eva Ebenhöh1 1Institute of ... of the central parameters for sustainable water management in rapidly changing physical and human... more
... Comparing two regional water management regimes in the Rhine basin Sabine Möllenkamp1, Machiel Lamers2, Eva Ebenhöh1 1Institute of ... of the central parameters for sustainable water management in rapidly changing physical and human environments (Pahl-Wostl 2007). ...
Antarctic Adventure Tourism and Private Expeditions MACHIEL LAMERS, JAN H. STEL AND BAS AMELUNG International Centre for Integrated Assessment and Sustainable Development, University of Maastricht, Postbox 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The ...
... of representatives from management practice, research, and consultancy (the Trialogue team); and the challenge of generating ... CONCEPTUAL CONSIDERATIONS AND DEFINITIONS ... outflow, technical measures in dam management, or measures... more
... of representatives from management practice, research, and consultancy (the Trialogue team); and the challenge of generating ... CONCEPTUAL CONSIDERATIONS AND DEFINITIONS ... outflow, technical measures in dam management, or measures along the course of the river. ...
... 152 Cruise Tourism in Polar Regions papers on climate change and tourism in the polar regions a distinction is made between different types of impacts that climate change might pose, such as impacts upon infrastructures, effects on... more
... 152 Cruise Tourism in Polar Regions papers on climate change and tourism in the polar regions a distinction is made between different types of impacts that climate change might pose, such as impacts upon infrastructures, effects on access and attractions (Johnston, 2006). ...
This paper examines the evolving and innovatory role of the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), an NGO with charitable status, in dealing with the challenge of protecting wildlife outside state-protected areas. Drawing on the theoretical... more
This paper examines the evolving and innovatory role of the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF), an NGO with charitable status, in dealing with the challenge of protecting wildlife outside state-protected areas. Drawing on the theoretical framework of institutional entrepreneurship, we historically trace AWF's engagement in conservation tourism, describing the complexities of how its actions evolved into the new organizational form of tourism conservation enterprises. We identify four key mechanisms – its “glocal” scope of action, awareness of policy and market voids, experimentation and hiring business professionals – that explain why AWF became aware, motivated and open to developing this organizational form. Lessons emerging from this process include that conservation NGOs should act as “opportunity seekers”, focus on incremental rather than radical innovations, note voids and ambiguities in governmental policies that provide opportunities for non-state actors to assume the role of institutional entrepreneur, and hire staff skilled in business, tourism and strategic management besides staff with the more conventional conservation skills in order to effectively engage in conservation tourism. Overall, the paper notes the importance of commercial conservation tourism approaches for the work of protected areas worldwide, and in using tourism as a poverty alleviation tool in less developed countries.
Research Interests:
Tourism plays an increasingly important role in the way non-governmental organisations govern landscapes, especially in decentralised conservation contexts in developing countries. In this paper, we examine the role of three key... more
Tourism plays an increasingly important role in the way non-governmental organisations govern landscapes, especially in decentralised conservation contexts in developing countries. In this paper, we examine the role of three key conservation organisations (the African Wildlife Foundation, the African Conservation Centre and the Northern Rangelands Trust) in landscape governance in Kenya. Our analysis of organisational strategies and practices between 2007 and 2013 demonstrates how conservation NGOs, as intermediators of various forms of conservation tourism, are subjected to multi-actor interdependencies. Our findings underpin the role of mismatching scale-making that not only hampers organisational objectives, but also contributes to a dynamic reshaping of conservation tourism landscapes. We illustrate our approach to landscape governance in the context of the Naibunga Conservancy Trust where multiple conservation NGOs are required to deal with overlapping and competing orderings.
Research Interests:
Antarctica is often described as one of world's last wildernesses. For a very long time, its isolation from human settlements provided an effective protection from intensive human visitation; however, over the past two decades, human... more
Antarctica is often described as one of world's last wildernesses. For a very long time, its isolation from human settlements provided an effective protection from intensive human visitation; however, over the past two decades, human activities in Antarctica – in particular tourist activities – have grown and diversified rapidly. In view of environmental and other concerns, regulating Antarctic tourism has become one of the major issues of debate within the Antarctic Treaty System. One of the questions that has received much attention since 2004 is the question of whether additional measures are needed to regulate (e.g. prohibit) the future development of permanent land-based facilities (such as hotels, visitor centres, logistic facilities) for tourism in Antarctica. A number of State governments involved in the Antarctic Treaty System have proposed to prohibit such developments; however, the question has not yet received a clear answer.After a brief introduction to the Antarctic Treaty System, this article provides a definition of permanent land-based facilities for tourism and an overview of current and past land-based tourism facilities in Antarctica. Next, the question of whether such facilities are likely to further develop in the near future is discussed and an inventory is made of arguments for and against such developments. Environmental issues will be discussed first, followed by other considerations. Based on this information, a number of regulatory options are described for consideration by policy makers. The authors argue that there is a need for regulating permanent land-based tourist facilities in Antarctica and in the conclusion of this article they express their views in respect of the most favourable option.
Antarctica is often described as one of world's last wildernesses. For a very long time, its isolation from human settlements provided an effective protection from intensive human visitation; however, over the past two decades, human... more
Antarctica is often described as one of world's last wildernesses. For a very long time, its isolation from human settlements provided an effective protection from intensive human visitation; however, over the past two decades, human activities in Antarctica – in particular tourist activities – have grown and diversified rapidly. In view of environmental and other concerns, regulating Antarctic tourism has become one of the major issues of debate within the Antarctic Treaty System. One of the questions that has received much attention since 2004 is the question of whether additional measures are needed to regulate (e.g. prohibit) the future development of permanent land-based facilities (such as hotels, visitor centres, logistic facilities) for tourism in Antarctica. A number of State governments involved in the Antarctic Treaty System have proposed to prohibit such developments; however, the question has not yet received a clear answer.After a brief introduction to the Antarctic Treaty System, this article provides a definition of permanent land-based facilities for tourism and an overview of current and past land-based tourism facilities in Antarctica. Next, the question of whether such facilities are likely to further develop in the near future is discussed and an inventory is made of arguments for and against such developments. Environmental issues will be discussed first, followed by other considerations. Based on this information, a number of regulatory options are described for consideration by policy makers. The authors argue that there is a need for regulating permanent land-based tourist facilities in Antarctica and in the conclusion of this article they express their views in respect of the most favourable option.
Antarctica is often described as one of world's last wildernesses. For a very long time, its isolation from human settlements provided an effective protection from intensive human visitation; however, over the past two decades, human... more
Antarctica is often described as one of world's last wildernesses. For a very long time, its isolation from human settlements provided an effective protection from intensive human visitation; however, over the past two decades, human activities in Antarctica – in particular tourist activities – have grown and diversified rapidly. In view of environmental and other concerns, regulating Antarctic tourism has become one of the major issues of debate within the Antarctic Treaty System. One of the questions that has received much attention since 2004 is the question of whether additional measures are needed to regulate (e.g. prohibit) the future development of permanent land-based facilities (such as hotels, visitor centres, logistic facilities) for tourism in Antarctica. A number of State governments involved in the Antarctic Treaty System have proposed to prohibit such developments; however, the question has not yet received a clear answer.After a brief introduction to the Antarctic Treaty System, this article provides a definition of permanent land-based facilities for tourism and an overview of current and past land-based tourism facilities in Antarctica. Next, the question of whether such facilities are likely to further develop in the near future is discussed and an inventory is made of arguments for and against such developments. Environmental issues will be discussed first, followed by other considerations. Based on this information, a number of regulatory options are described for consideration by policy makers. The authors argue that there is a need for regulating permanent land-based tourist facilities in Antarctica and in the conclusion of this article they express their views in respect of the most favourable option.
This paper analyses the main strengths and weaknesses of self-regulation in the Antarctic tourism sector. Ostrom's theory of collective action and especially the design principles for robust management of common pool resources provide the... more
This paper analyses the main strengths and weaknesses of self-regulation in the Antarctic tourism sector. Ostrom's theory of collective action and especially the design principles for robust management of common pool resources provide the framework for this analysis. The paper notes the rapid growth and diversification of tourism in Antarctica over the past two decades. It examines why formal tourism legislation has been limited because of the complex governance structure in Antarctica. It describes the self-regulation of tourism management that occurs through the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO). The success of IAATO is attributed to the high degree of organisation in the sector, largely because of the perceived benefits of membership. Continued incentives for self-organisation are needed but changing circumstances may lead tour operators to believe that IAATO membership is no longer advantageous. The paper shows that, under current conditions, the Antarctic tourism self-regulatory regime is a robust institution. However, with increasing numbers of tourists and operators the institutional structure may be weakened in the future.