Alina’s research focuses on the conflict and coexistence of large carnivores and people in the Romanian Carpathians. She is particularly interested in spatial and temporal patterns of conflict as well as the attitudes of various interest groups towards carnivores and their management. Before joining the PhD programme Alina studied and worked in Romania, Hungary, South Africa and the UK. Her professional experience spans the business, academic and NGO sectors and includes a diversity of roles from consulting, teaching and capacity building, to ecological surveys and project management. In her spare time she enjoys reading, hiking in the mountains, travelling and photography.
People whose livelihoods chiefly involve the direct exploitation of local natural resources often come into conflict with the institutions of protected areas, which are dedicated to natural resource conservation or preservation. Many scholars and managers now question the traditional top-down approach of excluding local participation and ignoring local interests in protected areas establishment and management.
Beliefs and attitudes of local people toward protected areas are increasingly being considered in conservation planning. Although park-people studies abound, relatively little is known about these relationships in Central and Eastern Europe. Romania’s protected area management system currently involves considering aspirations of local communities.
Although there have been extensive studies on damage-causing animals (DCAs) and local communities elsewhere, little is known about the factors influencing the interactions of DCAs between the Vwaza Marsh Wildlife Reserve (VMWR) and neighbouring communities, nor about the effectiveness of DCA mitigation. Furthermore, although the contentious issue of DCAs has been recognized in the area, there has been no systematic evaluation to date of the extent of this damage and how it is affecting attitudes towards the VMWR.
Prior to joining CEU faculty, Brandon Anthony worked as advisor to the Hungarian Nature Conservation Institute as well as a park supervisor/biologist with a Regional Conservation Authority in Canada. He has conducted research on nature conservation and community livelihoods in Canada, South Africa, Malawi, Romania and Hungary.
