Contribution of Pro-poor Eco-tourism and Comminity Participation in the Conservation of Wetlands of International Importance:
Low levels of community participation and support towards conservation efforts have led to persistent degradation of protected and gazetted ecosystems and the biodiversity therein. If a broader layer of the local community view protected areas as lost opportunities, the sustainability potential of conservation efforts is highly compromised. Community’s recognition of the importance of a protected area is key to the success of conservation programs and participation of community members in conservation programs is equally important, because it promotes sustainability of interventions put in place. Very rich ecosystems with high tourism potential have continued to be degraded despite government or donor attention, mainly by local community members who have been inhabitants within or in the neighbourhood and their livelihoods impacted by decisions made in regard to these areas, if they don’t see a direct benefit from conservation and associated tourism activities. Community participation and support are key in conservation programmes in protected and gazzeted biodiversity rich areas like Wetland of International Importance. This is achieved when they are recognised as important stakeholders and are able to share on accruing benefits.
How can we encourage community participation in Conservation Projects? Please Share your Idea.
increasing participation by comunity based tourism
Dear,
We have lesson learned when we run our community program in North Bali. Most of the community are fisherman with low income and highly depending to marine resources.
After 4 years work with them we found that the best way to get high level of participation are by involve them on all the process. From initial, implementation until the monitoring and evaluation. So we work on partnership and collaboration concept. Every stakeholder help through each capability and expertice.
On 2008, the community success to launch their community based marine management area. After one years run, the MMA now try to develop sustainable finance from their MMA through MMA based ecotourism. The idea is so simply, sustain funding for MMA as long as improve their welfare.
The point is to involve them on all the sector, phase and process. By involve in process, they will also understand that sometimes the program also face with may difficulties, but if they are involve in, there will be no worried to blame anyone, otherwise they will try hard to fix it, only because they have get feeling of ownership the program.
Another important thing is education. We should abandon that lack of understanding and knowledge are the main wall to get them now the core. knowledge drives the understanding, then drives the participation. But to participate they need skill.
Maybe our experience can help much.
Regards,
Jensi Sartin
Increasing Participation through Community Eco-tourism
Dear Jensi,
I thank you for sharing this. I agree with you and take out the following key issues for increased community participation: Involvement in all stages of the project cycle; Building Positive partnerships with Community and Community Institutions;and Provision of Skills through Education. These issues build up to project ownership.
Thanks once again and kind regards,
David.
Increasing community participation - eco tourism and others
Thanks David and jensi
Your sentiments are true, in my opinion and from experiences here in Zambia, there are also a number of factors at place in as far as working towards optimum participation of people at community level is concerned. While the issue of benefits is an important matter, i have over the years noticed that it is not the means to the end. In some instances the question of benefit of and from conservation; especially in the early stages of negotiations with communities result in false conclusions and un sustainable agreements. Time and again i have learnt that the people we work with; most of whom are pro-poor; do always have some hidden agenda. They are willing to get what ever they can lay the hands on even when they do not understand the short and or long term implications.
while i agree with David on the involvement of all at all stages of the project cycle, the social set ups do at times determine the level of involvement, (rich and poor, men and women, local politics,tradition and cultures, history (e.g people displaced due to multi-national development projects etc; the list is endless and challenging.
Its also true David, building positive partnerships with community and community institutions;and provision of Skills through Education are key.In addition i think TRUST, TRANSPARENCY WITH and DURATION OF INTERACTION with target communities are also key
Thanks
Moses Nyoni