Abstract
Using a logistic regression model, this paper examines key factors that influence individual support for communal conservancies in Namibia. It tests the hypothesis that if individuals are compensated for their wildlife related losses, they are more likely to support community based wildlife management projects. Data for this study were collected from 472 members of five conservancies in the Caprivi Region of Namibia. Respondents were selected through convenience sampling. The key findings are that receiving meat, activity during the Annual General Meeting (AGM), and being a member of a specific conservancy are the key predictors of satisfaction with the conservancy among the respondents. On the other hand, cash and jobs have no significant impact on individual attitudes toward communal conservancies. Based on these findings, the paper argues that the focus on incentives omits broader factors that motivate individuals to participate in community-based conservation.
Highlights
That biodiversity conservation depends on the participation of local communities is a common perspective among proponents of community based natural resources management [1,2,3]
Community based Natural Resources Management (CBNRM) approaches emerged around the early 1980s in order to increase the flow of benefits from the natural resources to communities and expanding opportunities for communities to participate in local governance-termed democratization and empowerment [13]
The sample is not truly random but convenient based on members of the household that could be located at the time of the interview
Summary
That biodiversity conservation depends on the participation of local communities is a common perspective among proponents of community based natural resources management [1,2,3]. While the fences and Environments 2015, 2 fines approach excluded some communities from extracting essential livelihood resources and, in some cases, led to “adversarial relationships” between park authorities and local communities [7], it was an effective means for conserving some forest resources in other areas [8]. CBNRM approaches emerged around the early 1980s in order to increase the flow of benefits from the natural resources to communities and expanding opportunities for communities to participate in local governance-termed democratization and empowerment [13]. The CBNRM approach brings communities to the fore in managing and benefiting from locally available resources. With the introduction of CBNRM, communities gained resource use rights and varying levels of decision making over the utilization and allocation of these resources [14]
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