Abstract
Regular evaluation of protected area operations can enable policy makers develop strategic responses to pervasive management problems. Pressures and threats in seven National Parks of the National Park Service (NPS) were therefore assessed using the Rapid Assessment and Prioritization of Protected Area Management (RAPPAM) methodology. The parks were Cross River National Park (CRNP), Okomu National Park (ONP), Old Oyo National Park (OONP), Gashaka –Gumti National Park (GGNP), Kainji Lake National Park (KLNP), Chad Basin National Park (CBNP) and Kamuku National Park (KNP). Quantitative data was collected from 207 rangers and 49 senior staff including park records. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Spearman correlation. The parks had professionals (1.06%), technical staff 33 (2.19%), rangers 1094 (72.55%), and administrative staff 266 (17.64%). Personnel cost (19.6%), administrative operations (36.9%) and conservation of park resources (3.4%) were significantly (p<0.05) different. The greatest threats facing the parks were Grazing (57.76%), Hunting (24.17%), Logging (6.17%) and Fishing (5.06%). Threats and pressures were positively and significantly correlated (r=0.75, P<0.05) with vulnerability. The staff profile and inappropriate budgetary allocation to conservation activities might be responsible for the overall pressures and threats recorded in the parks during the study.KEYWORDS: Threats, Pressures, Protected Areas, National Park, Management
Highlights
Regular evaluation of protected area operations can enable policy makers develop strategic responses to pervasive management problems
Results in Chad Basin National Park (CBNP), Kamuku National Park (KNP) and GGNP were moderate while the levels were mild in Okomu National Park (ONP)
Threat to the conservation of biodiversity was highest in Kainji Lake National Park (KLNP) followed by Cross River National Park (CRNP) and CBNP
Summary
Regular evaluation of protected area operations can enable policy makers develop strategic responses to pervasive management problems. A major environmental concern of conservation practitioners all over the world is to improve and optimize management strategies that will assess the threat status of protected areas and measure the management effectiveness of their conservation efforts (Margolis and Salafsky 1999, Hockings et al2000, Salafsky et al 2002). These assessments are seriously considered as integral components of systematic conservation planning processes (Margules and Pressey 2000)
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