Strengthening Romania’s Protected Area System by Demonstrating Best Practices for Management of Small Protected Areas: Conservation attitudes in the communities neighbouring the Măcin Mountains National Park

The objective of this report is to assess perceptions and conservation attitudes of the people living in the area adjacent to the MMNP and identify the factors underlying them. This report serves as a baseline study that can be utilized to track the relationship of MMNP with its neighbouring communities. Another area assessed, in which this research represents a pioneering attempt, is the perception of the Consultative Committee by the inhabitants of the MMNP’s peripheral area.

Studies of this nature are valuable for a number of reasons. Firstly, they can disclose whether strong attitudes exist towards conservation and/or a protected area (PA) which, in some cases, may explain behaviour. Secondly, they can inform PA managers and policy makers which factors influence attitudes, thereby assisting in prioritizing avenues for action. Finally, attitudinal studies can reveal opportunities to improve relationships and outreach programmes with neighbouring communities. This holds true not only for MMNP’s interactions with its neighbours, but also for PAs in similar contexts elsewhere.