Community Conservation- an achievable aim?

When most people think of conservation, protected areas typically spring to mind. However this traditional paradigm of fortress conservation was so heavily criticised as a result of its impact on local people. For example, exclusionary conservation is thought to have resulted in 14-24million environmental refugees in Africa alone leading to landlessness, joblessness, economic marginalisation, food insecurity and a rise in morbidity and mortality (Adams, 2007). Post the 1987 Brundtland commission's report and the rise in discourse surrounding ‘sustainable development’, conservation efforts turned to the development and implementation of community based conservation. This initiative focuses on the importance of conservation for ecosystem health and biodiversity whilst ensuring social justice and material wellbeing and advocates that sustainable use or incentive based conservation is most viable giving rural communities economic interest in preserving the ecosystem and species survival (Hutton, 2003). 

The Ngorongoro Crater- a typical Tanzanian protected area

Tanzania has huge potential for community conservation. It is of high biological importance with 10% of land already designated as protected areas but very low levels of economic development with a GDP of just $609 per capita (World Bank, 2012). Wildlife Management Areas (WMA’s) were Tanzanias attempt at community conservation initiated in 1998. In this instance village land outside protected areas or parks were set aside to promote conservation and bring prosperity to villagers. Once an area was designated a WMA, communities were granted legal rights to manage the resources and could seek outside investors for wildlife based business ventures. As of the 31^st March 2006, 4 WMAs have been established with mixed success (Igoe, 2007).

The Burunge WMA is located between lake Manyara and Tarangire national parks and the Manyara game reserve. Its location in a wildlife migration area and a large elephant population raises concerns over safety and difficulties with farming. There was huge confusion over the establishment of the WMA carving up villages and resulting in the eviction of 64 families. The conflict that ensued resulted in several arrests and harm at the hands of the private game hunting company that relocated to the area. Furthermore, corruption in the distribution of benefits means the villagers have seen little economic return and there is much confusion at the community level over who is responsible for management (Igoe, 2007). Although this case study would appear as a failure for community conservation methods, I feel it is more a failure of ‘top down’ approaches so typical in conservation.

Burunge WMA- Tourist camp

Ololosokwan village in northern Tanzania lies adjacent to the Maasai Mara and Serengeti national parks and residents are predominantly Maasai agro pastoralists. The village lies in one of the most wildlife rich areas and until top down management attempts were made, I feel it was a good advocate for community based conservation. Two ecotourism ventures, an eco lodge and campsite, developed with private companies have earned the village $55 000 annually. The village also developed by-laws to regulate land use and management including methods to control illegal hunting and requirements for all tourist revenues to be placed in a village bank account with quarterly reports on earnings and expenditure. In 1992 the government established a hunting block with the United Arab Emirates Ortello Business Corporation. To provide exclusive access to the village lands the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism banned game viewing and photographic or walking safaris within any wildlife protected area except for National Parks (MNRT 2000). This attempted to close the village’s existing ecotourism ventures. A WMA was then proposed but villagers protested. (Nelson, 2013).

Ololosokwan community conservation method

At present when human populations particularly in Africa are expanding at such a rate, I feel that if conservation or biodiversity preservation is to succeed, it needs to incorporate the needs of local people. Otherwise these vital sites will become battle grounds for conflicting interests resulting in failure on both sides. Although I feel uncomfortable with the idea of commodifying these areas, local people need income and resources and ecotourism does seem to pose a solution in some instances. This however should come from within the communities in a bottom up approach with states offering support. In other instances, when ecotourism is not relevant or unfeasible, mechanisms for community conservation should be considered on a case by case basis as as ideal as conservation mechanisms may sound in theory, there is never a one size fits all solution.

Sources:

Adams, W. Hutton, J. (2007). Peoples, Parks and Poverty: Political Ecology and Biodiversity Conservation. Conservation and Society.  5(2). pp 147-183.

Hutton, JM (2003) sustainable use and incentive driven conservation: realigning human and conservation interest. Oryx. 37 . pp215-226

Igoe, J.,Croucher,B. (2007) Conservation, Commerce and communities: the story of community based wildlife management areas in tanzanias northern tourist circuit. . Conservation and Society. 5(4) pp 534-561

Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism (MNRT) (2000). The Wildlife Conservation (Tourist Hunting) Regulations. 

Nelson, F. (2007). Emergent or illusory? Community wildlife management in Tanzania. Pastoral society of east africa. [online]. Available at: http://pubs.iied.org/pdfs/12540IIED.pdf [Accessed 12.01.2015]

World Bank,(2012)  GDP per Capita.[online].  Available from: http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.PCAP.CD. [Accessed 12.01.2015]