Policy characteristics and practical logic of protected area governance system in China

Protected area are a crucial part of China′s ecological civilization construction, and their governance effectiveness is of strategic importance for ecological security maintenance and climate change response. Based on the grounded theory, this study systematically analyzes 237 policy documents on protected areas, reveals the policy characteristics of the governance system from four dimensions: stage, actor, form, and content, and constructs a theoretical framework of "policy dynamics-policy windows-policy networks-policy tools". The study finds that China′s protected area governance system has gone through three phases: initial exploration (before 1994), steady enhancement (1994—2012), and high-quality development (2013—present). Moreover, this evolution process is highly compatible with the national ecological civilization construction process. The Ministry of Ecology and Environment and National Forestry and Grassland Administration play a leading role in governance. However, cross-sectoral collaboration still encounters institutional barriers. Governance is driven by three main factors of ecological pressure, vertical transmission, and horizontal competition. The implementation of the pilot policies on national parks have provided critical policy windows to promote the formation of a central-local ecological governance alliance. The policy network showcases a multiple synergistic model of "government-led-multi-stakeholder participation-constructive interaction", enhancing governance effectiveness through the combination of supply-side, demand-side, and environment-oriented policy tools.