Protected Area-People Relationships in Tanzania: A Case Study of Saadani National Park and its Neighbouring Communities
Journal Title: Journal of Social and Political Sciences - Year 2019, Vol 2, Issue 3
Abstract
The importance of understanding relationships between protected areas (PAs) and surrounding communities in a specific context has received increasing attention. However, studies examining such relationships are rather limited for Tanzania. Using the case study of Saadani National Park, this paper examines the extent to which the approaches of park - people relationships (benefit-sharing, mitigating human-wildlife conflicts, managing PAs in collaboration with local communities, and opening limited access to park resources), widely applied by PA managers worldwide to foster positive relationships with local communities, have been applied by managers of national parks in Tanzania, including views of neighbouring communities on such approaches. Fieldwork involved a multiple-method approach of qualitative research based on focus group discussions with village leaders, in-depth interviews with park officials, informal discussions with key informants, document analysis and a four-month period of field observations coupled with my experience with the wider community. The results indicate that benefit-sharing is the main approach to foster positive PA - people relationships in Tanzania's national parks. Other approaches (mitigating human-wildlife conflicts, managing PAs in collaboration, and opening limited access to park resources) are also important in shaping such relationships. Some are also applied, but with great variation in the extent of application. Others (e.g., opening limited access to park resources) have not been considered at all, despite their relevance. There are hindrances to these approaches such as policy issues, financial limitations, their importance to the local community, and logistical difficulties associated with them. The major stumbling blocks to local communities' collaboration in PA management are widespread poverty, low level of education, and maintenance of hunting tradition. These reflect the limited capacity for the local communities to conserve biodiversity. Poverty is one of the main contributors to biodiversity degradation - often reflected in overdependence on natural resources for a living, low level of education implies limited knowledge on conservation issues to make significant contribution to the protected area, and a tradition of hunting can lead to species extinction or a decline in species population - thereby threatening wildlife conservation.
Authors and Affiliations
Michael Muganda
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP645717
- DOI 10.31014/aior.1991.02.03.114
- Views 84
- Downloads 0
Investigating the Factors Influencing Patient Satisfaction at a Private Medical Centre in Northern Namibia
The aim of this study was to investigate factors affecting patient satisfaction at a private medical centre in Northern Namibia. The study was guided by the following objectives: to explore the factors affecting patients...
Morphology of House Pattern in Tenganan Dauh Tukad Village, Karangasem Bali, Indonesia
Traditional Settlements Tenganan Dauh Tukad Traditional Village, Karangasem regency, has a uniqueness of traditional dwelling patterns that become the local character of the region. However, along with the development of...
Media Ecology: The Coincidence of Events and Comparison of Information
The paper explores the factors that influence and contribute toward the cyclic mode of information. It looks at how information undergoes mutations over time and space and how these mutations play an important role in ma...
Natural Resources as the Main Driver of Maritime Territorial Disputes in the Case of South China Sea Dispute - Case Studies on Scarborough Shoal and Spratly Islands
This paper assesses the extent of natural resources in playing a role in a maritime territorial dispute, employing South China Sea disputes as a case paper. Natural resources are considerably substantial to be a focal po...
Elements of the Cultural Space as a Form Identity of Klungkung Urban Area, Bali, Indonesia
The identity of cities in Indonesia has a different character and spatial structure, especially in the Klungkung urban area, Bali. Identifying urban areas will be able to understand who, what, patterns, and needs that mu...