The Urban and Rural Spaces: Consequences of Nature Conservation and the Rural to Urban Migration. ACase of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area, Zimbabwe Sector

Abstract

KEYWORDS Transboundary Conservation. Conservation Refugees. Alleviating Poverty. Rural to Urban Migration ABSTRACT Over the past two decades, there has been an increase in the number of transboundary conservation initiatives in the Southern Africa region. Among other consequences these initiatives exert on biodiversity protection and promotion of the non-consumptive tourism sector, the creation of opportunities as well as 'alleviating poverty' for the local people has been a development myth. While a number of scholars, authorities and development practitioners believe that transboundary conservation initiatives promote 'socio-economic upliftment' of local people, reality in the Great Limpopo Transfrotnier Conservation Area has proved otherwise. Because of involuntary displacement or relocation to pave way for such an initiative and in search of better opportunities, local people migrate from the marginal rural areas to towns and cities across international borders where they work as laborers. Using the case of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area, Zimbabwe sector, this paper looks at the urban space as sinks to the rural to urban migration. It argues that this is one of the consequences of the failure to meet objectives of empowering local people by transboundary conservation initiatives.