In past ,conservation efforts have been insufficient to counteract the pressures of economic development. But environmental protection policies and rural development policies have also failed to engage the trust and compliance of local people, who have often perceived these top-down directive as against their interests. Recent trends in the political economy of the region include moves toward more decentralized forms of decision making and management over natural resources. Could these policy shifts promise environmental governance that is more responsive to the needs and concerns of local people?