皇家华人

Anthropologists at 皇家华人 are exploring the impacts of Tanzania鈥檚 community-based schemes to manage natural resources, on the people they are designed to benefit.

People living in rural areas across the global south听are balancing听demands for large-scale听agriculture听and听global conservation听while听at the same time trying to meet听their own听needs.听听

鈥淗owever,听while this is how听Wildlife Management Areas听(WMAs) in Tanzania听are presented, many听observers听see them as a way of commercialising natural resources formerly supporting local livelihoods,听and as a means to听derive state revenues and entrepreneurial profits from those resources,鈥� explains Professor Katherine Homewood听(UCL Anthropology).听听

WMAs听are听communal听land areas听set aside as habitats for wildlife, designed to bring economic benefits, while protecting habitats and ecosystem services听including biodiversity.听听

鈥淲hile the rhetoric emphasises benefits听to communities who exist within them, in reality听communities receive only a very limited share,鈥� says Professor Homewood.听

Today听WMAs听are being extended to听cover a听planned 14鈥�15%听of Tanzania鈥檚听land听area听and although such schemes are听now听common听across the global听south, there are conflicting听views on how well they work听and who benefits听from them.听

In 2014,听Professor听Homewood听set out to evaluate the impacts of WMAs on local peoples鈥� lives and livelihoods听through听the Poverty and Ecosystem Services Impacts of Tanzania鈥檚 Wildlife Management Areas (PIMA) study. The International interdisciplinary collaboration听includes听several European听universities, the听Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute,听the Tanzania Natural Resources Forum听and the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre.听

鈥�鈥淭here are many dimensions and complexities to how WMAs affect ecosystem services and alleviate听or exacerbate听poverty,鈥澨齈rofessor Homewood explains.听鈥淚nevitably there听are听trade-offs.听

鈥淔or example, while听wildlife management areas听can听impose听considerable costs on local people, they do not听guarantee听an income from tourism,听and in some cases听they听have generated land-based conflicts听between communities听and with external听actors, such as tourist operators.鈥澨�听

The听PIMA听study听compares听social and ecological outcomes for established WMAs with matched non-WMAs听within the same ecosystem听to听provide robust evidence that听can be used听locally, nationally and internationally.听听

PIMA鈥榮 framework approach听also听fostered听channels for听people living within WMAs听to听highlight听to policy makers and practitioners the impacts听that听changes听in land听use听are having听on听their听wellbeing.听听

鈥淥ur work is helping听deliver insights听that听we hope听will听benefit听the million people already affected by WMAs,听and听which will听help reshape policies on similar schemes听in ways听that are needed if听they are to promote positive local development,鈥澨齈rofessor Homewood adds.听