Community-Based Biodiversity Conservation Management: Reaching the Goal of Biodiversity Conservation and Community Development

Master's Thesis from the year 2007 in the subject Forestry / Forestry Economics, grade: 1.7, University of G?ttingen (Institut f?r Forstpolitik und Naturschutz ), language: English, abstract: Community-Based Conservation (CBC) refers to wildlife conservation efforts that involve rural people as an integral part of a wildlife conservation policy. In Africa and specifically in Cameroon, there have been changes in state policies towards natural resources management particularly forest resources. This study deals basically on Cameroon, with national forest cover of over 42% which constitutes one of its major economic resources. Since 1995, a new forest policy act was enacted (proclaimed in 1994) to accommodate two approaches, that is, Community Forestry and sustainable forest management. Conserving and enhancing biodiversity through rural peoples' involvement was one of the components of the new forest policy act of 1995. The study analyses the conditions under which the CBC policies can be successfully implemented in Cameroon, with the case of the Korup National Park (KNP) and its support zone and the former Korup Project (KP). It also investigates the interest and the relationship of the different stakeholders concerned, especially the local community. The thesis uses three hypotheses (which are limited to CBC), semi-structured questionnaires and secondary data to test or investigate successful policy implementation in the KNP by analysing, (i) the role the local communities, (ii) the international environmental NGOs and groups played in the former Korup Project (1988-2003) and (iii) the level of biodiversity conservation and rural development in the Korup Project Area (KPA). The study was carried out in the southern sector of the KNP with a simple-random sampling of 78 respondents out of 11 villages of the 32 villages in and around the National Park. The results indicate: (i) low participation of the local communities in the Integrated Conservation and Development

Author: Yufanyi Movuh Mbolo

Publisher: Grin Verlag

Publication Date: Sep 17, 2010

Number of Pages: 120 pages

Binding: Paperback or Softback

ISBN-10: 3640698509

ISBN-13: 9783640698509