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Community-based conservation as a potential source of conflict around a protected area in Sierra Leone

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 April 2016

LINCOLN R. LARSON Open the ORCID record for LINCOLN R. LARSON [Opens in a new window] ,
APRIL L. CONWAY ,
KATHLEEN E. KRAFTE ,
SONIA M. HERNANDEZ  and
JOHN P. CARROLL
LINCOLN R. LARSON*
Affiliation:
Clemson University – Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Management, 298 Lehotsky Hall, Clemson, South Carolina 29634-0735, USA
APRIL L. CONWAY
Affiliation:
US Peace Corps, Dallas, Texas, USA
KATHLEEN E. KRAFTE
Affiliation:
Clemson University – Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Management, 298 Lehotsky Hall, Clemson, South Carolina 29634-0735, USA
SONIA M. HERNANDEZ
Affiliation:
University of Georgia – Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources, 30602, Georgia, USA
JOHN P. CARROLL
Affiliation:
University of Nebraska – School of Natural Resources, 3310 Holdrege St., Hardin Hall, Lincoln, Nebraska 68583, USA
*
*Correspondence: Dr Lincoln R. Larson Tel: +1 864-656-1244 e-mail: lrl@clemson.edu
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Summary

Community-based conservation efforts are designed to foster local stewardship of important ecological resources. However, inequitable distribution of costs and benefits in communities surrounding protected areas can negatively impact livelihoods, increase wealth disparities and create conflict. To examine the potential for conflict between host communities involved in a community-based conservation program and neighbouring (non-host) communities, we explored local residents’ attitudes towards conservation at Tiwai Island Wildlife Sanctuary (TIWS) in Sierra Leone. Intercept surveys (n = 368) were conducted in 18 villages (eight host, ten non-host) within 8 km of TIWS during 2010. Results revealed significant differences between residents of the host and non-host villages with respect to attitudes towards resource use and overall support for site protection. The most substantial discrepancies centred on perceived benefits associated with TIWS, and these drastically different perspectives generated a high potential for conflict. To minimize conflict and foster broader community support for conservation, managers must carefully consider how benefits associated with protected areas are communicated and distributed across protected area-proximate landscapes.

Keywords

attitudescommunity-based conservationconflicthost communityperceived benefitsprotected areas
Type
Papers
Information
Environmental Conservation , Volume 43 , Issue 3 , September 2016 , pp. 242 - 252
Copyright
Copyright © Foundation for Environmental Conservation 2016 

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