Collective management for the conservation of mountain environments

lessons from tourism in the Marins-Itaguaré crossing, Serra da Mantiqueira, Brazil

Abstract

Collective action involves collaboration among various actors to achieve shared benefits. Identifying community attributes that promote collective action for environmental conservation is a challenge in sustainability research. This article employs methodological triangulation among participant observation, documentary analysis and semi-structured interviews to characterize the development of collective action and institutional arrangements that foster the conservation of mountain environments in Serra da Mantiqueira, Brazil. The results indicate that collective action arising from mountaineering activities draws the attention to the need for conservation, relying on formal elements of the arena and on the skilled actors' efforts, contributing to a bottom-up management approach. The study also highlights the weakness of established governance, which collapses in the absence of skilled actors or when formal structures disintegrate, emphasizing the role of these key elements to strengthen the collective action process.