Impacts of Community Based Conservation Initiatives in Kenya

Decline in wildlife populations and habitat degradation has been attributed to poverty caused by protectionist approach to conservation. Community based conservation initiatives (CBCIs) have been introduced with the duo goals... [ view full abstract ]

Decline in wildlife populations and habitat degradation has been attributed to poverty caused by protectionist approach to conservation. Community based conservation initiatives (CBCIs) have been introduced with the duo goals of community development and wildlife conservation. However a huge debate exist on the linkages between the two goals and the viability of CBCIs. Evidence based research is therefore required to evaluate the impacts of CBCIs. To evaluate the success of CBCIs in achieving the two goals in Kenya, a study will be conducted in Kalama conservancy within Gir Gir community Group ranch. The objectives include. a) To determine the impact of CBCIs on vegetation and wildlife populations in the Laikipia-Samburu Ecosystem. b) To establish the challenges affecting the success of CBCIs and come up with measures to mitigate them. c) To assess the effects of CBCIs on community development in Gir Gir Group ranch d) To determine the factors that influence the participation and collaboration of the local community with other stakeholders in the establishment and management of CBCIs. The sustainable livelihood framework (SLF) will be adopted to enable a structured and coherent study of the factors that influence community livelihoods. The Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) method will be used to measure the proportion of people who experience acute poverty. Gir Gir community will be stratified into four socio-economic strata using participatory wealth ranking technique. Systematic random sampling will be used to select 50 households from each stratum to form a sample of 200 respondents. Data will then be collected using semi-structured questionnaires. A qualitative approach drawing upon in-depth interviews with key informants will also be done. Data on vegetation will be acquired from Landsat TM and ETM+ images obtained from the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Wildlife population data will be acquired from conservancy database. The socio-economic status and wildlife populations before the establishment of the conservancy will serve as baseline data for comparison. This is a holistic study that will inform decision makers on the viability of CBCIs and the strategies that can be used to enhance their success.