People's Perceptions on Conservation Opportunities and Challenges For

People’s perceptions on conservation opportunities and challenges for Nyungwe and Mukura national parks, Rwanda Gloriose Umuziranengeab, Muhirwa Fabienac, Jean Bosco Nshimiyimanaa, and Majyambere Methoded a Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, Protestant Institute of Arts and Social Sciences, Rwanda b PhD Candidate, University of Bamberg, Germany c PhD Candidate, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, University of Chinese Academy of Science, China d University of Rwanda, Rwanda Abstract This study assesses people’s perceptions of conservation opportunities and challenges. Research was conducted in Nyungwe and Mukura-Gishwati national parks, Rwanda. Data were collected through interviews, focus group discussions, and observational methods. Participants were selected purposively based on their living experience, societal role, and experience in conservation programs, and the data was analysed using qualitative methods. The findings indicate that the management of Nyungwe National Park has improved relationships between the local community and the Park. This is through the accommodation of local needs such as infrastructure (schools, health centres, and communal water tanks), and provision of income-generating activities. Also, there has been increased awareness in terms of park protection through a tourism revenue sharing scheme introduced in 2005. However, some cases of human-wildlife conflict, fire, deforestation, agricultural expansion, and wildlife hunting in Nyungwe National Park threatened conservation efforts. The relationship between Gishwati-Mukura National Park and the local communities has yet to be shaped; local communities currently receive no income or direct benefit from the Park. Threats such as mining activities, fodder cutting, firewood collection, and grazing were prevailing threats for Gishwati-Mukura National Park. To address these challenges, researchers recommend decision-makers increase initiatives that economically empower local communities and therefore reduce poverty as a critical indirect threat that hinders better conservation outcomes. Keywords: community conservation, local people, conservation challenges, opportunities ― 163 ― 本稿の著作権は著者が保持し、クリエイティブ･コモンズ表示4.0国際ライセンス（CC-BY）下に提供します。 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.ja ASC-TUFS Working Papers Volume 1 (2021) People’s perceptions on conservation opportunities and challenges for Nyungwe and Mukura national parks, Rwanda 1. Introduction should be community-based to achieve community development. This would help minimise This study is focused on people’s perceptions of conservation opportunities and challenges for Nyungwe conservation challenges and ensure the socio-economic development of local communities. and Mukura national parks. This paper introduces the study in three parts. First, the background of the Numerous studies have indicated that among ICD approaches, park management sharing the benefits study is described in Section 1.1, followed by an overview of related problems will in Section 1.2, by of tourism with the local community has consistently been considered a unique method for community reflecting on the objectives of the study. Third, Section 1.3 illustrates and explains the conceptual participation in natural resource conservation (Timothy 1999, Tosun 2000, Adams and Hulme 2001, framework. Archabald and Naughton-Treves 2001, Li 2004, 2005, Cole 2006, Zacarias and Loyola 2017). Tourism revenue sharing (TRS) programs promote tourism development and ensure that local communities enjoy 1.1. Study background tangible benefits whilst participating in wildlife conservation. It is considered a way of reconciling Over the past 50 years, the loss of biodiversity and related environmental changes has become more conservation and development by ensuring that local community interests and knowledge are considered. prominent and frequent than ever before in human history. Many animal and plant populations have Community involvement in tourism development leads to obtaining local community support for declined in either abundance, geographical distribution, or both (Dirzo and Raven 2003, MEA 2005, conservation initiatives, and also acts as a crucial component in achieving sustainable development of Jackson and Sax 2010). Although species extinction is considered a natural part of the Earth’s history, the industry. current losses are the result of various human actions. Such losses have been exacerbated in many Some researchers have also determined factors that lead individuals to become involved in illegal regions of the world through a burgeoning human population, leading to increased exploitation of natural activities despite conservation efforts. For instance, Bulte et al. (2003) showed that some aspects of resources including forest resources; this makes environmental conservation a critical and complex issue wildlife resemble the characteristics of a public good that the local community is interested utilising. (Vitousek et al. 1997, Haddad et al. 2015, Nibeza 2015). The authors highlight the issue appropriate incentives from conservation to capture the full benefits from The population in the Albertine Rift mountains, where Rwanda is located, has significantly higher the required investments; however, these incentives continue to be elusive. In addition, other researchers population densities than other parts of Africa (Burgess et al. 2007). This high population density has have found that if protected areas act as a mechanism that generates hostility among local populations, increased deforestation activities and, as a result, reduced the area of forests and natural ecosystems. some local people have gone to greater effort to utilise conserved lands illegally. This has required Park These impacts have resulted in soil erosion, landslides, flooding, relocation of local people around managers to implement the near-impossible job of enforcement in order to accomplish protection natural forests, and high biodiversity loss due to changes in ecosystems (Armenteras et al. 2006, Andrew objectives. McGrath et al. (2018) illustrates how informal and unequal revenue benefit-sharing (money and Masozera 2010, Lambin and Meyfroidt 2011, Kideghesho et al. 2013, Kakuru et al. 2014). and/or information) may mediate jealousy and tension between communities living around protected Studies indicate that current rapid human population growth has increased the demand and areas. competition for natural resources through over-exploitation at the highest level beyond the capacity of available resources. As the human population continues to expand, there is an increasing demand for 1.2. Problem statement agricultural land and other natural resources for industry in terms of land settlements, cultivation, and The government of Rwanda through the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), has initiated efforts to livestock grazing, wood and timber, and water resources for livestock and domestic needs. In improve socio-economic conditions for local communities, whilst concurrently achieving conservation conjunction with these demands there has also been increased contact with wildlife, resulting in human- goals; these efforts include TRS with local communities. Since 2005, when this policy was initiated, wildlife conflicts such as crop raiding and wildlife attacks (Campbell et al. 2001, Loibooki et al. 2002, more than $5.8 million was invested in 647 development projects around Virunga, Akagera, and Kideghesho et al. 2005). Nyungwe national parks. TRS financed a variety of projects, and community cooperatives were Conservation approaches had begun with “fortress conservation”, which excluded local populations supported; from 2005 to 2017 approximately, 1 133 195 986 Frw was invested in 152 different from the use of natural resources and did not share power with local communities or institutions (Siurua developmental projects for local communities in districts adjacent to Nyungwe National Park 2006, Doolittle 2007). (Imanishimwe et al. 2018). Blomley et al. (2010) reported that a new conservation approach known as integrated conservation However, negative anthropogenic activities are persistent and involve a full suite of direct drivers and development (ICD) was introduced in the 1980s. The premise of the approach was that conservation that cause biodiversity loss in protected areas (Imanishimwe et al. 2018). In terms of poaching activities, ― 164 ― ASC-TUFS Working Papers Volume 1 (2021) People’s perceptions on conservation opportunities and challenges for Nyungwe and Mukura national parks, Rwanda 1. Introduction should be community-based to achieve community development. This would help minimise This study is focused on people’s perceptions of conservation opportunities and challenges for Nyungwe conservation challenges and ensure the socio-economic development of local communities. and Mukura national parks. This paper introduces the study in three parts. First, the background of the Numerous studies have indicated that among ICD approaches, park management sharing the benefits study is described in Section 1.1, followed by an overview of related problems will in Section 1.2, by of tourism with the local community has consistently been considered a unique method for community reflecting on the objectives of the study. Third, Section 1.3 illustrates and explains the conceptual participation in natural resource conservation (Timothy 1999, Tosun 2000, Adams and Hulme 2001, framework. Archabald and Naughton-Treves

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