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The social role of protected areas in the new South Africa

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 October 2009

Michael P. Wells
Michael P. Wells*
Affiliation:
Tunnelveien, 3, 3400 Lier, Norway
*
* Michael P. Wells Tel: +47 3284 1542 Fax: +47 3284 0827 e-mail: michaehv@sn.no
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Summary

South Africa contains an extensive, well-managed protected area network which generates considerable economic benefits from tourism, but the extensive land and financial resources required by the parks and reserves are difficult to reconcile with the acute social and economic development needs of poor rural people with very limited access to any kind of resources. Local communities have incurred substantial costs from the establishment of these parks while receiving few benefits in return. National and provincial governments, as well as the conservation authorities, have now recognized that the long-term future of parks and reserves depends on taking effective steps to redress the local imbalance of benefits and costs. Integrated conservation-development projects (ICDPs) are beginning to test a range of specific measures to increase local community participation in the benefits from protected areas. Parks have considerable resources and expertise which they can use to support local development through ICDPs, although it would be unrealistic to expect parks to solve widespread rural poverty amongst their neighbours. Instead, park authorities should take the lead in forming partnerships to mobilize the combined resources and expertise of other national and provincial government agencies, NGOs and the private sector, as well as the local communities themselves. Community participation in wildlife tourism may best be achievable through joint ventures with the private sector or park management authorities.

Keywords

parksparticipationSouth Africaintegrated conservation-development projectscommunitiesinstitutions
Type
Papers
Information
Environmental Conservation , Volume 23 , Issue 4 , December 1996 , pp. 322 - 331
Copyright
Copyright © Foundation for Environmental Conservation 1996

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