Local Communities’ Attitudes and Support Towards the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in Southwest Botswana

Naomi Moswete,Brijesh Thapa,William K Darley

doi:10.3390/su12041524

Naomi Moswete, Brijesh Thapa + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/su12041524

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Abstract

Protected areas are of national importance and have developed into sources of benefits while in other situations have sparked conflicts among stakeholders, including residents from adjacent local communities, and park authorities. In this study, we examined community residents’ attitudes towards the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (KTP) in the Kalahari region (SW Botswana). This study assessed factors that influence support for, or opposition to, the KTP. A questionnaire with semi-structured questions was used to gather information from head of households (N = 746) in nine villages in the Kalahari region. Overall, positive attitudes and support for the KTP as a transfrontier park were documented, though tangible benefits were limited. Further based on analyses, literacy, proximity, and employment status were key variables that influenced support. In addition, any increase in residents’ perceived benefits, land ownership, conservation awareness, and local benefits resulted in increased support for KTP. The implications indicated that communities near the KTP (Botswana side) need to be consulted, while further communications between the KTP management and authorities and adjacent villages are required to initiate effective community conservation programs. Additional programs and community outreach initiatives would also enable positive attitudes and support of KTP.

Highlights

Parks and protected areas are generally associated with benefits and related values by local residents due to improved quality of the environment, and other social and economic benefits including employment [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10]
Positive attitudes have been influenced by community and personal economic benefits largely derived from tourism [4,22,31,32,33,34,35,36,37]
Rural communities have resorted to new livelihood ventures, such as park-based community ecotourism and wildlife safaris enterprises in the form of Community-based Organizations (CBOs) or Trusts near or in Protected Areas (PAs) [5,47,52,53,54,55]

Summary

Introduction

Parks and protected areas are generally associated with benefits and related values (monetary, pride) by local residents due to improved quality of the environment, and other social and economic benefits including employment [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10]. In Botswana, the government has introduced the concept of community based natural resource management (CBNRM) and community based organization (CBOs) (e.g., wildlife based Trusts) as a strategy to diversify rural livelihoods and reduce competition for the same resources among stakeholders [24,49]. It is through such initiatives that rural communities are encouraged to establish CBOs (Trusts) to develop community-based tourism enterprises from which they collectively plan, make decisions, manage and operate tourism enterprises and share benefits [5,56,57]

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