An extension plan of Yakushima Biosphere Reserve as a case study of consensus building of islanders

A consensus-driven approach to extend Yakushima's Biosphere Reserve (BR) demonstrates the potential for balancing nature conservation with sustainable resource use on islands. The study highlights how local stakeholders, including residents and scientists from the Society of Yakushimaology, collaborated to reactivate the BR, addressing critical issues like overabundance of deer populations threatening agriculture and natural vegetation, as well as tourist overcrowding at Nagata-hama beach—a vital sea turtle spawning ground. This participatory model, encapsulated in the 'Yakushima Environmental Culture Village' concept, offers a feasible policy framework for managing UNESCO World Heritage Sites (WH) and Ramsar sites, emphasizing local engagement and trust-building to achieve sustainable coexistence between conservation and human activities.

Matsuda, H., Yumoto, T., Okano, T., Tetsuka, K., Fujimaki, A., & Shioya, K. (2015). An extension plan of Yakushima Biosphere Reserve as a case study of consensus building of islanders. Journal of Ecology and Environment, 38(2), 241–247. https://doi.org/10.5141/ecoenv.2015.024