Can conservation-based incentives promote willingness of local communities to coexist with wildlife? A case of Burunge Wildlife Management Area, Northern Tanzania

Abstract

ABSTRACT Globally, conservation-based incentives (CBIs) are perceived as effective tools for enhancing human–wildlife coexistence. This study investigated whether CBIs could improve willingness of local communities around Burunge Wildlife Management Area (BWMA) to coexist with wildlife. We conducted a questionnaire survey which was orally administered to 150 households from three villages participating in the BWMA. Providing social services like education, healthcare, and livestock disease control increased the community’s willingness to coexist with wildlife by 60%. Gender, occupation and time of residence were significant predictors explaining the observed 27.4% variation in the willingness to coexist with wildlife. Women involved in small businesses were more receptive to CBIs if they received training on protecting their property from wildlife. People who lived in the area for a longer time showed higher tolerance for wildlife-related challenges. We recommend implementing effective CBIs to enhance coexistence and developing measures to minimize crop losses caused by wildlife.