Protected areas, community costs and benefits : a comparative study of selected conservation case studies from Northern Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa.

Abstract

Communities neighbouring protected areas globally suffer various costs while enjoying limited benefits from conservation areas. This study compared livelihood costs and benefits to selected neighbouring communities around the Somkhanda Game Reserve (SGR), which is a community-owned conserved area and the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park (HiP), a state-owned, provincial park in northern KwaZulu-Natal. Quantitative (questionnaire) and qualitative (focus groups and interviews with key informants) methods were used to examine the livelihood impacts of the two conservation study sites on neighbouring communities. The political ecology and the sustainable livelihood framework guided the research. The most common livelihood costs incurred in both neighbouring communities include loss of land, curtailed access to traditionally used natural resources, destruction of crops and devouring of livestock by wild animals, loss or injury of human life by wildlife and the spreading of wildlife diseases to livestock. Benefits included employment opportunities, business opportunities, access to natural resources and collection of firewood. The identified livelihood costs from the two conservation areas have further been aggravated by lack of compensation to affected households. The study recommends that measures should be taken to strengthen problem animal control in the two conservation areas. Furthermore, both conservation areas should come up with some compensation criteria to cover affected households.