Comments on national parks and future relations with neighbouring communities

Considering the success of South Africa's conservation history, the question is asked why this achievement has failed to impress the major portion of the South African population. Reasons for this failure are discussed and in order to rectify the situation, key strategies of the National Parks Board for addressing the problem are dealt with. The process of stereotyping and the role that it played in establishing an unequal experience of the conservation history is investigated. This is followed by arguments why conservation agencies should get involved in the development of rural communities. The ability of conservation areas to act as engines of development in rural areas is highlighted. The conclusion is drawn that neighbouring communities need to be involved in joint decision-making and shared responsibility, and it is suggested that this process should be handled in a dialogic way. Lastly a broad view of affirmative action is advanced, which will allow for meaningful integration of community relations with an affirmative action programme. Proposals are made for an affirmative action programme for the National Parks Board.

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Planning conservation areas in Uganda's natural forests

Oryx ◽

10.1046/j.1365-3008.1997.d01-124.x ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 31 (4) ◽

pp. 253-264 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Peter Howard ◽

Tim Davenport ◽

Fred Kigenyi

Keyword(s):

Rural Communities ◽

National Parks ◽

Reserve Design ◽

Multiple Use ◽

Natural Forests ◽

Conservation Areas ◽

Management Objectives ◽

Multiple Use Management ◽

Key Sites ◽

Biosphere Model

In the late 1980s the Ugandan Government decided to dedicate a fifth (3000 sq km) of the country's 15,000-sq-km forest estate to management as Strict Nature Reserves (SNRs)for the protection of biodiversity. The Forest Department subsequently undertook a 5-year programme of biological inventory and socioeconomic evaluation to select appropriate areas for designation. Sixty-five of the country's principal forests (including five now designated as National Parks) were systematically evaluated for biodiversity, focusing on five ‘indicator’ taxa (woody plants, birds, small mammals, butterflies and large moths). A scoring system was developed to compare and rank sites according to their suitability for nature reserve establishment and 11 key sites were identified, which, when combined with the country's 10 national parks, account for more than 95 per cent of Uganda's species. In order to satisfy multiple-use management objectives, the Man and the Biosphere model of reserve design is being applied at each forest, by designating a centrally located core area as SNR, with increasingly intensive resource use permitted towards the periphery of each reserve and adjacent rural communities.

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Examining the Conflicting Relationship between U.S. National Parks and Host Communities: Understanding a Community’s Diverging Perspectives

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su10103667 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (10) ◽

pp. 3667 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Jae Lee ◽

David Matarrita-Cascante ◽

Ying Xu ◽

Michael Schuett

Keyword(s):

Rural Communities ◽

National Parks ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Three Dimensions ◽

Park Management ◽

Cultural Resources ◽

Management Framework ◽

Analysis Methodology ◽

Community Stakeholders ◽

Complex Relationships

The growing importance of participatory and collaborative approaches in resource management has resulted in an increased emphasis on identifying the complex relationships between natural national parks and neighboring rural communities. Given the limited number of studies dealing with parks beyond rural areas, our exploratory case study examines how conflict stemming from diverse community stakeholders’ perspectives and values in regard to the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park influences their involvement and attitudes toward park management. Thirty-two interviews were conducted and analyzed using a content-analysis methodology. Guided by the Progress Triangle conflict management framework, each stakeholder’s views, interests, and aspirations associated with the missions were organized according to the framework’s three dimensions: Substance, procedure, and relationship. The study findings discussed how stakeholders’ varying perspectives regarding cultural resources influenced their interactions with urban historical national parks and their attitudes toward park management. Furthermore, how stakeholders can reconcile their differences through a collaborative approach for better park management was discussed.

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Conservation of Protected Areas in Federal System, How?

The Initiation ◽

10.3126/init.v3i0.2518 ◽

1970 ◽

Vol 3 ◽

pp. 161-166

Author(s):

Santosh Mani Nepal

Keyword(s):

Federal Government ◽

National Parks ◽

Buffer Zone ◽

Local Communities ◽

Provincial Government ◽

Federal System ◽

Governance System ◽

Conservation Areas ◽

Buffer Zones ◽

Conservation History

The formal conservation history of Nepal is relatively shorter one. The protection and conservation of National Parks, Wildlife Reserves, Conservation Areas and Buffer Zone are creating a burning debate amongst all stakeholders along with the debate of the state restructuring. The federal system of Nepal is quite different compare to other countries. All the rational designed in the face of unitary governance system needs a redefinition now. We have to create a suitable road-map for the division power among different levels of governments using the general orientation of international conservation framework. Constitutional provision should be designed in such a way that there should be little political intervention on natural resources. Mostly the National Parks and Wildlife Reserves are listed under the jurisdiction of federal government in federal countries. Environment has been a matter of concurrent power among many other federal countries. In Nepal, there is a growing consensus in favor of federal responsibility for the large infrastructures based on their inter-provincial importance, impact and extent. National Parks, Wildlife Reserves, Buffer Zones and Conservation Areas should be matter of concurrent authority where the federal government makes a framework policy but works in collaboration with the provincial government and local communities when it comes of implementing it. This will be the only way where by federal government could comply with the international commitments. Similarly, provincial government can implement the conservation functions with the support of local communities, indigenous people and groups dependent on the natural resource. The framework for such mechanism should be designed through an extensive consultation with the key stakeholders during the formulation of legislation and bylaws following the promulgation of the new constitution.The full text of the article is in Nepali. DOI: 10.3126/init.v3i0.2518 The Initiation Vol.3 2009 p.161-166

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Contested natures: Coca, the War on Drugs, and ecologies of difference in Colombia's Afro-Pacific

Journal of Political Ecology ◽

10.2458/v26i1.23060 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 26 (1) ◽

pp. 305 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Alexander Huezo

Keyword(s):

Rural Communities ◽

National Parks ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Ethnic Difference ◽

War On Drugs ◽

Global South ◽

Ethnic Communities ◽

Global North ◽

Ecological Difference ◽

Descendant Communities

While there is growing consensus that the 'war on drugs' has failed to decrease drug consumption in the Global North, we know much less about how drug production has impacted communities of the Global South. This is particularly true for the cultivation of coca leaf in Colombia, which is increasingly planted in isolated rural areas such as national parks and in the collectively titled lands of ethnic communities (indigenous and Afro-descendant) where it is both difficult to detect and to eradicate. This article explains how Afro-descendant communities in Colombia have resisted both coca cultivation and a controversial war on drugs strategy to eliminate coca –aerial eradication – through a framework of ecological difference. It also explores why political ecologists can be important allies in this struggle and in the greater context of socio-environmental justice for rural communities in the Global South. Key Words: rural, ethnic, difference, war, coca, Colombia

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TURNING FARMERS INTO SOCIAL FARMER ENTREPRENEURS FOR DISADVANTAGED PEOPLE

NORDSCI Conference proceedings, Book 1 Volume 3 ◽

10.32008/nordsci2020/b1/v3/31 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Remus Runcan

Keyword(s):

Rural Communities ◽

Low Income ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Health And Safety ◽

Physical Work ◽

Healthy Environment ◽

Rural And Urban Areas ◽

Rural Development Programme ◽

Rural And Urban

According to Romania’s National Rural Development Programme, the socio-economic situation of the rural environment has a large number of weaknesses – among which low access to financial resources for small entrepreneurs and new business initiatives in rural areas and poorly developed entrepreneurial culture, characterized by a lack of basic managerial knowledge – but also a large number of opportunities – among which access of the rural population to lifelong learning and entrepreneurial skills development programmes and entrepreneurs’ access to financial instruments. The population in rural areas depends mainly on agricultural activities which give them subsistence living conditions. The gap between rural and urban areas is due to low income levels and employment rates, hence the need to obtain additional income for the population employed in subsistence and semi-subsistence farming, especially in the context of the depopulation trend. At the same time, the need to stimulate entrepreneurship in rural areas is high and is at a resonance with the need to increase the potential of rural communities from the perspective of landscape, culture, traditional activities and local resources. A solution could be to turn vegetal and / or animal farms into social farms – farms on which people with disabilities (but also adolescents and young people with anxiety, depression, self-harm, suicide, and alexithymia issues) might find a “foster” family, bed and meals in a natural, healthy environment, and share the farm’s activities with the farmer and the farmer’s family: “committing to a regular day / days and times for a mutually agreed period involves complying with any required health and safety practices (including use of protective clothing and equipment), engaging socially with the farm family members and other people working on and around the farm, and taking on tasks which would include working on the land, taking care of animals, or helping out with maintenance and other physical work”

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Tackling Rural Health, Energy, … and Technological Issues All at Once: A Call for a Global Interdisciplinary Platform for Strengthening Rural Setting Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic

Challenges ◽

10.3390/challe12020016 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

pp. 16

Author(s):

Farshad Amiraslani

Keyword(s):

Rural Communities ◽

Rural Health ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Rural Setting ◽

Global Challenges ◽

Rural Settings ◽

Research Studies

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has revealed flaws in rural settings where most people live without the necessary tools, income, and knowledge to tackle such unprecedented global challenges. Here, I argue that despite the research studies conducted on rural areas, these have not solved rising rural issues, notably poverty and illiteracy. I propound a global institute to be formed by governments that provides a platform for empowering rural communities through better training, skills, and competencies. Such global endeavour will ensure the remaining rural communities withstand future pandemics if they occur.

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Solid Biomass Energy Potential as a Development Opportunity for Rural Communities

Energies ◽

10.3390/en14123398 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (12) ◽

pp. 3398

Author(s):

Mariusz Jerzy Stolarski ◽

Paweł Dudziec ◽

Michał Krzyżaniak ◽

Ewelina Olba-Zięty

Keyword(s):

Rural Communities ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Renewable Energy Sources ◽

Biomass Energy ◽

Energy Sources ◽

Energy Potential ◽

Development Opportunity ◽

Biomass Resources ◽

Administrative Units ◽

Solid Biomass

Conventional energy sources often do not fully satisfy the needs of a modern economy, especially given the climate changes associated with them. These issues should be addressed by diversification of energy generation, including the development of renewable energy sources (RES). Solid biomass will play a major part in the process in Poland. The function of rural areas, along with a well-developed agricultural and forest economy sector, will be a key aspect in this as these areas are suitable for solid biomass acquisition in various ways. This study aimed to determine the solid biomass energy potential in the commune of Goworowo to illustrate the potential in the smallest administrative units of Poland. This research determined the environmental and natural conditions in the commune, which helped to identify the crucial usable solid biomass resources. The total energy potential of solid biomass resources in the commune of Goworowo amounted to 97,672 GJ y−1. The highest potential was accumulated in straw surplus (37,288 GJ y−1) and the lowest was in wood from roadside maintenance (113 GJ y−1). This study showed that rural areas could soon play a significant role in obtaining solid biomass, and individual communes could become spaces for the diversification of energy feedstock.

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Moving beyond Limitations: Designing the Helpdys App for Children with Dyslexia in Rural Areas

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13137081 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (13) ◽

pp. 7081

Author(s):

Andres Larco ◽

Jorge Carrillo ◽

Nelson Chicaiza ◽

Cesar Yanez ◽

Sergio Luján-Mora

Keyword(s):

Rural Communities ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Rating Scale ◽

Language Disorder ◽

Educational Games ◽

Mobile App ◽

Literacy Skills ◽

Full Potential ◽

Positive Contribution ◽

Self Confidence

Dyslexia is a relatively common language disorder which is generally ignored in rural communities. It hinders children’s learning processes and, in some cases, is the cause of dropouts or violence in schools. The present work strives to create a web and mobile app as a preliminary step towards the diagnosis and treatment of dyslexic children. Apps providing didactic educational games and activities improve literacy skills for students with reading disabilities. The current work incorporates user experience and prototyping to fulfill app requirements. The authors evaluated the apps with the Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS) tool to assess engagement, functionality, aesthetics, and information. The app’s improvements were immediately implemented and tested in the “Escuela Linea Equinoccial” (Ecuador) school, proving its utility for future use in the education system. The app can be a valuable tool for children with dyslexia to progress successfully through school, raising their self-confidence and, thereby, helping them reach their full potential as adults able to make a positive contribution to society.

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Evaluation of Community Resilience in Rural China—Taking Licheng Subdistrict, Guangzhou as an Example

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18115827 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (11) ◽

pp. 5827

Author(s):

Jianhong Fan ◽

You Mo ◽

Yunnan Cai ◽

Yabo Zhao ◽

Dongchen Su

Keyword(s):

Spatial Distribution ◽

Rural Communities ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Rural China ◽

Social Resilience ◽

Learning Abilities ◽

The Sustainable Development ◽

Guangzhou City ◽

Local Sustainability

Resilience of rural communities is becoming increasingly important to contemporary society. In this study we used a quantitative method to measure the resilience regulating ability of rural communities close to urban areas—in Licheng Subdistrict, Guangzhou City, China. The main results are as follows: (1) Rural systems close to urban areas display superior adapting and learning abilities and have a stronger overall resilience strength, the spatial distribution of which is characterized by dispersion in whole and aggregation in part; (2) the resilience of most rural economic subsystems can reach moderate or higher levels with apparent spatial agglomeration, whilst the ecological subsystem resilience and social resilience are generally weaker; the spatial distribution of the former shows a greater regional difference while the latter is in a layered layout; (3) some strategies such as rebuilding a stable ecological pattern, making use of urban resources and cultivating rural subjectivity are proposed on this basis, in order to promote the sustainable development of rural areas and realize rural revitalization. This work also gives suggestion for the creation of appropriate and effective resilience standards specifically targeted for rural community-aiming to achieve the delivery of local sustainability goals.

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What Are the Impacts of Social Innovation? A Synthetic Review and Case Study of Community Forestry in the Scottish Highlands

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13084359 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (8) ◽

pp. 4359

Author(s):

Carla Barlagne ◽

Mariana Melnykovych ◽

David Miller ◽

Richard J. Hewitt ◽

Laura Secco ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Rural Communities ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Community Forestry ◽

Social Innovation ◽

Local Development ◽

Evidence Base ◽

Social Dimension ◽

Vulnerable Groups ◽

Study Approach

In a context of political and economic austerity, social innovation has been presented as a solution to many social challenges, old and new. It aims to support the introduction of new ideas in response to the current urgent needs and challenges of vulnerable groups and seems to offer promising solutions to the challenges faced by rural areas. Yet the evidence base of the impacts on the sustainable development of rural communities remains scarce. In this paper, we explore social innovation in the context of community forestry and provide a brief synthetic review of key themes linking the two concepts. We examine a case of social innovation in the context of community forestry and analyse its type, extent, and scale of impact in a marginalized rural area of Scotland. Using an in-depth case study approach, we apply a mixed research methodology using quantitative indicators of impact as well as qualitative data. Our results show that social innovation reinforces the social dimension of community forestry. Impacts are highlighted across domains (environmental, social, economic, and institutional/governance) but are mainly limited to local territory. We discuss the significance of those results in the context of community forestry as well as for local development. We formulate policy recommendations to foster and sustain social innovation in rural areas.

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