scholarly journals Factors influencing Local Community Participation in Wildlife Conservation Projects in Northeast India

Author(s):  
Sayan Banerjee ◽  
Ambika Aiyadurai

Participation by local communities in wildlife conservation projects have long been advocated since it is socially just and is effective to reach conservation and development goals. Socio–economic variables that drive participation and impact of participation have been studied, but the contextual process that stir up local community participation remains understudied. In this paper, we studied factors facilitating community participation in three wildlife conservation projects in Northeast India. Through ethnographic fieldwork at these sites we identified conservation actors and examined interactions between them.We found common modes of participation at these sites and these were related to gaining material incentives, providing labour, attending consultative workshops. Levels of interaction and coercion were found to be different in three sites. Three critical factors that drive participation were: (1) trigger, (2) negotiation and (3) sustenance. Trigger factors kickstart participation through establishment of a crisis narrative and facilitation by external actors. Negotiation factors emerge from day–to–day interaction between local community and external actors and involve effective entry stage activities, income opportunity, mediating voices within the community and intra–community dynamics. Sustenance factors affect the long term participation by community in the conservation project and involve tangible/intangible results, capability development of locals, funding and availability to critical information. In our paper we argue that investment of time and fund to understand the stakeholders and their concept of participation, periodic feedback sessions, capacity development of locals for self–mobilization, innovative information dissemination and securing long term funding are necessary for effective local community participation.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sayan Banerjee ◽  
Ambika Aiyadurai

Participation by local communities in wildlife conservation projects have long been advocated since it is socially just and is effective to reach conservation and development goals. Socio–economic variables that drive participation and impact of participation have been studied, but the contextual process that stir up local community participation remains understudied. In this paper, we studied factors facilitating community participation in three wildlife conservation projects in Northeast India. Through ethnographic fieldwork at these sites we identified conservation actors and examined interactions between them.We found common modes of participation at these sites and these were related to gaining material incentives, providing labour, attending consultative workshops. Levels of interaction and coercion were found to be different in three sites. Three critical factors that drive participation were: (1) trigger, (2) negotiation and (3) sustenance. Trigger factors kickstart participation through establishment of a crisis narrative and facilitation by external actors. Negotiation factors emerge from day–to–day interaction between local community and external actors and involve effective entry stage activities, income opportunity, mediating voices within the community and intra–community dynamics. Sustenance factors affect the long term participation by community in the conservation project and involve tangible/intangible results, capability development of locals, funding and availability to critical information. In our paper we argue that investment of time and fund to understand the stakeholders and their concept of participation, periodic feedback sessions, capacity development of locals for self–mobilization, innovative information dissemination and securing long term funding are necessary for effective local community participation.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 104-104
Author(s):  
Andrew Greenwood

Experienced veterinary professionals use their specialist expertise gained from working with various taxa in captive situations such as zoos, falconry and exotic pets, to assist with all stages of wildlife conservation projects from initial stabilisation of critically-endangered populations through captive management, reintroduction/translocation and long-term monitoring.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 21-31
Author(s):  
Kileti V. Tarimo ◽  
Moses I. Olotu

AbstractLocal community participation in wildlife conservation and management is known to have existed for many years. However, the socio-economic activities regarding community participation remain questionable. Incorporating the views of the local community in the process of decision-making and providing alternative livelihood solutions are important steps towards sustainable conservation. The main aim of this study was to investigate the effects of community participation in sustainable wildlife management in Rungwa Game Reserve. A survey was conducted of the households in Rungwa and Mwamagembe villages with a sample size of 98 respondents. The study used a cross-sectional research design. Data were collected from different respondents at a single point in time. The main research methods used for data collection included: questionnaire surveys, key informant interviews, field observations, focus group discussions and a review of documents. Descriptive data were summarised and presented in frequency tables and charts. Content analysis was also used to determine relationships between the variables measured. The findings revealed both positive and negative effects of wildlife conservation and management. The results revealed that local communities provided confidential information pertaining to illegal activities. The findings further indicated that there was a failure of the game reserve authorities to allow meaningful local participation and equitable sharing of the benefits, which could be attributed to hatred, resentment, and illegal harvesting of natural resources from the game reserve, resulting in poor wildlife conservation. This study recommends the encouragement and a strengthening of the involvement of local communities in wildlife conservation for the sustainable utilisation of natural resources.


2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 539-563
Author(s):  
Jonathan Pérez-Flores ◽  
Sofía Mardero ◽  
Antonio López-Cen ◽  
Fernando M. Contreras-Moreno

Wildlife conservation efforts in the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor have focused on reducing negative interactions between humans and charismatic species. In recent years, droughts have increased in frequency and intensity in southeastern Mexico exacerbating conflicts with wildlife as they compete with humans for limited water. In the Yucatan Peninsula, Greater Calakmul Region of southeastern Mexico, Baird’s tapirs (Tapirus bairdii) are increasingly encroaching into local villages (ejidos) in search of water. This behavior could increase tapir mortality from hunting by Calakmul ejidos residents. We evaluated the trends between annual precipitation and tapir sightings near or within Calakmul ejidos from 2008 to 2019 to determine if the frequency of reported conflicts increased relative to decreased precipitation. In addition, with community participation, from 2016 to 2018 we monitored one of the ejidos where human-tapir conflicts were reported to be increasing to better describe the nature of conflicts. We did not find any relationship between the number of tapir sightings reported and annual precipitation. However, more tapirs were documented near ejidos in 2019, which is one of the years with the lowest rainfall (626.6 mm) in the last decade. Tapirs were reported as the most common wildlife species observed at waterholes (35.4%) and apiaries (32.1%). Our findings suggested that water scarcity has increased tapirs’ incursions into human-populated areas and subsequently the potential for human-tapir conflicts. We recommend that managers consider developing alternative water sources that could mitigate human-tapir conflicts and contribute to the long-term viability of other wildlife species that inhabit the Greater Calakmul Region of southeastern Mexico.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Kalyuzhny ◽  
Curtis H. Flather ◽  
Nadav M. Shnerb ◽  
Ronen Kadmon

AbstractEcological communities are assembled by colonization and extinction events, that may be regulated by ecological niches1–5. The most parsimonious explanation of local community assembly is the Dynamic Equilibrium (DE) model, which assumes that community dynamics is shaped by random colonization and extinctions events, effectively ignoring the effects of niches1, 6. Despite its empirical success in explaining diversity patterns1, 5, 7, it is unknown to what extent the assembly dynamics of communities around the globe are consistent with this model. Using a newly developed methodology, we show that in 4989 communities from 49 different datasets, representing multiple taxa, biomes and locations, changes in richness and composition are larger than expected by DE. All the fundamental assumptions of DE are violated, but the large changes in species richness and composition primarily stem from the synchrony in the dynamics of different species. These results indicate that temporal changes in communities are predominantly driven by shared responses of co-occurring species to environmental changes, rather than by inter-specific competition. This finding is in sharp contrast to the long-term recognition of competition as a primary driver of species assembly8–12. While ecological niches are often thought to stabilize species diversity and composition4, 13, 14, we found that they promote large changes in ecological communities.


Author(s):  
Refiloe Julia Lekgau ◽  
Tembi Tichaawa

The overall purpose of the current study was to investigate the socio-economic contributions made by wildlife tourism in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park to a community living adjacent to the Park. Following a mixed methods approach, the study used Tsabong, a community in Botswana, as the case study area. Interviews were conducted with key tourism stakeholders and semi-structured questionnaires were distributed to the residents involved. The study found that (i) wildlife tourism has contributed to employment creation and economic development in Tsabong, (ii) wildlife tourism has increased the community’s sense of pride in their culture and preservation of local culture because of wildlife tourism, however, also revealed that (iii) local community participation in wildlife tourism and conservation projects of the KTP is generally low and (iv) positive economic benefits of wildlife tourism are not seen by the entire community. The main recommendations of the study centre on facilitating community participation in the collaborative management of the Park.


2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-1
Author(s):  
Andrew Greenwood

Experienced veterinary professionals use their specialist expertise gained from working with various taxa in captive situations such as zoos, falconry and exotic pets, to assist with all stages of wildlife conservation projects from initial stabilisation of critically-endangered populations through captive management, reintroduction/translocation and long-term monitoring.


2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 115-123
Author(s):  
Ratu Mutialela Caropeboka

The environment is also called the natural environment is a phenomenon that forms around life rather than humans, either biotic or abiotic. The surrounding phenomenon that affects people is not limited to physical factors solely, on the contrary social factors play an important role to explain how human activity can affect the environment and the natural surroundings. The essence and falsafa of development is a change, growth and equity in all fields and dimensions to a better state. Development communication is part of a major process that requires social, economic, political and cultural change in line with the requirements of the local community. The simultaneous formulation of information dissemination carried out by radio, is no longer the only option of society, because the community has designed and determined what information they need. Television broadcasting has an influence on patterns of public action to model, imitate information gained through impressions. Community participation in safeguarding the environment to achieve harmonious and balanced development is the driving and driving force for social change to achieve sustainable development. Lingkungan disebut juga alam sekitar adalah fenomena yang wujud di sekeliling kehidupan daripada manusia,baik biotik ataupun abiotik. Fenomena sekeliling yang mempengaruhi manusia tidak terbatas kepada faktor fisikal semata-mata, sebaliknya faktor sosial turut berperanan penting bagi menerangkan bagaimana aktivitas manusia dapat mempengaruhi lingkungan dan alam sekitar. Hakikat dan Falasafah pembangunan ialah suatu perubahan, pertumbuhan dan pemerataan dalam segala bidang dan dimensinya menuju keadaan yang lebih baik. Komunikasi pembangunan merupakan bahagian dari proses besar yang menghendaki adanya perubahan sosial, ekonomi, politik dan budaya yang sejalan dengan persyaratan keperluan masyarakat lokal. Formula keserentakan penyebaran informasi yang dilakukan melalui radio, tidak lagi menjadi satu-satunya pilihan masyarakat, karena masyarakatlah telah merancang dan menentukan informasi apa yang mereka perlukan. Siaran televisi mempunyai pengaruh pada pola tindakan masyarakat untuk mencontoh, meniru informasi yang didapat melalui tayangan. Partisipasi masyarakat menjaga lingkungan untuk mewujudkan pembangunan yang serasi dan seimbang adalah penggerak dan pengarah bagi perubahan sosial untuk mewujudkan pembangunan yang berkelanjutan


2014 ◽  
Vol 76 ◽  
pp. 15-23
Author(s):  
Barrie J. Wills

A warm welcome to our "World of Difference" to all delegates attending this conference - we hope your stay is enjoyable and that you will leave Central Otago with an enhanced appreciation of the diversity of land use and the resilient and growing economic potential that this region has to offer. Without regional wellbeing the national economy will struggle to grow, something Central Government finally seems to be realising, and the Central Otago District Council Long Term Plan 2012-2022 (LTP) signals the importance of establishing a productive economy for the local community which will aid in the economic growth of the district and seeks to create a thriving economy that will be attractive to business and residents alike. Two key principles that underpin the LTP are sustainability and affordability, with the definition of sustainability being "… development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."


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