Background
Meaningful and active local engagement is necessary for the long-term success of community forest projects, so we wanted to understand community concerns surrounding existing protected areas. Assessing the degree of community support for local conservation activities is critical for developing a successful conservation plan.
Building the ModelA socioeconomic study in late 2020 collected information on the social, political, and cultural patterns of local communities. Households were asked to score survey statements based on how strongly they agreed or disagreed with statements concerning their interactions with Itombwe Nature Reserve. We examined responses spanning across three topics: general knowledge of protected areas, governance of community forestry, and the importance of natural resources for local communities.
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Heat map of public perception of Itombwe Nature Reserve’s accessibility. Average perception from survey responses on the accessibility of protected areas, specifically Itombwe Nature Reserve. Survey responses based on Likert Scale: 1 (total agreement) to 4 (total disagreement). The x-axis visualizes the average distance from the park: from right (closest to park) to left (farthest from park). The y-axis represents statistically significant survey topics. Darker coloration of squares indicates a higher average disagreement on the topic. Lighter coloration indicates relative agreement with the topic at hand. |
Model ResultsRespondents closer to the protected area were in general agreement, and respondents further from the protected area were in general disagreement. Communities farthest from Itombwe reported that they felt excluded from planning processes due to a lack of vehicular access to the reserve, unpleasant experiences with governing agencies, and the inability to benefit from natural resources within the reserve. Likewise, public sentiments near the pinch points identified in our connectivity analysis indicate that households located within 10 km of the pinch points were generally in slight agreement or slight disagreement with conservation plans.
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Takeaways
Widespread community opposition to conservation efforts could dampen the observable benefits from Community Based Forest Management implementation. Strong Roots should continue to identify meaningful ways to engage with the local community to remedy their specific criticisms about Community Forestry to increase satisfaction and engagement patterns.