The Pennsylvania State University the Graduate School College Of
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The Pennsylvania State University The Graduate School College of Agricultural Sciences COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVES ON CONSERVATION, FOREST LIVELIHOODS, AND SOCIAL WELL-BEING IN ZAHAMENA NATIONAL PARK, MADAGASCAR A Dissertation in Rural Sociology and Human Dimensions of Natural Resources and the Environment by Cara M. Raboanarielina © 2011 Cara M. Raboanarielina Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy August 2011 The dissertation of Cara M. Raboanarielina was reviewed and approved* by the following: A. E. Luloff Professor of Rural Sociology and Human Dimensions of Natural Resources and The Environment Dissertation Advisor Chair of Committee Leland L. Glenna Associate Professor of Rural Sociology Carolyn Sachs Professor of Rural Sociolgy James C. Finley Professor of Forest Resources and Human Dimensions of Natural Resources and The Environment B. Ikabolajeh Logan Professor of African and African-American Studies and Geography Ann R. Tickamyer Professor of Rural Sociology Head of the Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology * Signatures are on file in The Graduate School. ii Abstract Madagascar is considered a biodiversity hotspot as many of its unique flora and fauna are found nowhere else in the world. Conservation initiatives, including the creation of protected areas and national parks, remain the primary method of protecting Madagascar’s forests and unique environment. Despite extensive research documenting the social impacts of conservation in Madagascar and globally, questions remain about how the creation of national parks and reserves influence the social well-being of forest dependent communities. This research examines local perceptions of social well-being in two forest-dependent communities near Zahamena National Park (ZNP), Madagascar. An integrated approach applying an interactional community and political ecology framework is applied to define, and conceptualize the various ecological, social, cultural, and political processes within the community context that shape social well-being. Because past research on the social impacts of conservation has failed to explicitly define or measure social well-being, this study emphasizes specifically how residents’ define it and the processes that impact individual and community well-being. Moreover, this approach merges past research on forest livelihoods and dependency with the social impacts of conservation to situate an analysis of social well-being within the community context. This mixed methods case study was designed to highlight how the interconnections between forest livelihoods/dependency and conservation impact social well-being. Multiple qualitative and quantitative data were analyzed including key informant interviews with both local residents and conservation and park mangers and stakeholders, facilitated discussion groups, participatory photography, and a household survey to evaluate how changes in resource access and relations with ZNP influence residents’ social well-being. Study findings indicate ecological, social, and political processes impact the social well- being of ZNP residents. The creation and implementation of conservation regulations result in changes in access to land and other resources, negatively impacting residents’ quality of life and overall social well-being. While significant community differences exist, overall, changes in access to the forest resource disrupts residents’ quality of life and well-being. These changes in turn create strains on community relations and communion. Although regression models do not corroborate these community differences, quality of life, education levels, income sources, and community beliefs about ZNP are significant predictors of resident social well-being. Implications for these findings on current conservation management and protected area policy are addressed. iii Table of Contents List of Tables x List of Figures xii List of Abbreviations xiii Glossary xiv Chapter 1 PROBLEM STATEMENT 1 Chapter 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 4 Community Defined 4 Community as a Social System 5 Community as an Ecological System 6 The Interactional Approach: Linking the Social and the Ecological System 7 Social Well-being 9 Quality of Life 12 Forest Dependency, Livelihoods and Linkages to Well-being 13 Role of Forest and Non-timber Forest Products (NTFPs) in Forest Dependency 18 Connections between Forest Dependence, Livelihoods and Well-being 19 Social Impacts of Conservation and Protected Area Management 20 Utilitarian and Rights Approaches to Biodiversity Conservation 21 Social Justice Issues of Conservation and Impacts to Well-being 22 Resident Displacement 23 Livelihood Impacts 24 Community Participation 25 Violent Threats to Local Residents 25 Social Constraints to Conservation Initiatives in Madagascar 26 Community Perspectives on Conservation 27 A Need for an Integrated Approach to Conservation 29 Chapter Summary 30 Chapter 3 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK 32 Theoretical Foundations for Studying Resource Dependent Communities 32 iv Well-being and its Absence from the Social Impacts of Conservation Literature 33 Clarification of the Concept of Social Well-being 34 Understanding the Political Ecology of Conservation 37 Conservation Control and Environmental Conflict 39 Critiques of Political Ecology Frameworks in Conservation 41 An Integrated Approach to Conservation and Well-being: A Conceptual Model 42 The Ecological Dimension 44 Forest Health and Change 44 Forest Livelihoods and Dependency 49 The Social Dimension 50 The Community Context 50 Quality of Life 52 Sociodemographics 53 The Cultural Dimension 53 Community Values and Attitudes about Conservation 54 The Political Dimension 57 The Institutional Discourse of Conservation 58 Resource Access as Determined by Rules-in-Use 59 Research Questions 60 Chapter Summary 63 Chapter 4 METHODOLOGY 64 Mixed and Multi-Methods Case Study Research 64 Secondary Data Analysis 65 Key Informant Interviews 67 Rationale, Sampling, and Data Collection 67 Participant Characteristics 71 Analytic Procedures 71 Household Survey 72 Rationale, Sampling, and Data Collection 72 Participant Characteristics 74 Analytic Procedures 77 Operationalization 78 v Dependent Variable: Social Well-being 78 Independent Variables 79 Facilitated Discussion Groups 83 Rationale, Sampling, and Data Collection 83 Participant Characteristics 85 Participatory Visual Methods 86 Rationale, Sampling, and Data Collection 86 Participant Characteristics 88 Analytic Procedures 88 Verification Assessment 89 Reflections on the Research Process 90 Chapter Summary 93 Chapter 5 BACKGROUND 94 The Dynamic Environment of Madagascar: Forest Change and Human Interaction 94 The Deforestation Hypothesis: A Paradise in Peril 95 The Post-Modern Narrative: Politics and Environmental Degradation 97 Environmental Change and the Politics of Conservation in Madagascar 100 Defining Conservation and Protected Areas (PAs) 101 History of Conservation in Madagascar 103 Pre-Colonization (1800s-1890s) 104 Colonization (1890s-1960) 104 Post-Colonization 106 National Legislation Guiding Conservation in Madagascar 114 The National Environmental Action Plan (NEAP) 114 Eco-Region Based Conservation and Development (MIRAY) 117 Community Based Resource Management in Conservation Planning 118 Zahamena National Park: A Brief Overview 119 Location and History 119 Biophysical Characteristics 124 Zoning 127 Population 128 vi The Study Sites 129 Antanandava 130 Ambodivoangy 133 Chapter Summary 136 Chapter 6 QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS 137 Framing the Analysis 137 Key Informant Interviews 138 Perceptions of Change in Access and Influence on Social Well-being 139 Perceptions of Change 139 Community Concern 143 Livelihoods, Resource Dependency and Ecological Aspects of Well-being 145 Resident Livelihoods 145 Forest Uses and Dependency 147 Perceptions of Forest Health and Change 149 Political Aspects of ZNP and Impacts on Well-being 153 Social and Cultural Factors Linked to Well-being 155 Quality of Life 155 Perceptions about Conservation, ZNP, and Park Benefits 157 Relations between Residents and Park Managers 159 Constraints to Social Well-being 161 Facilitated Discussion Groups 163 Perceptions of Change in Access and Influence on Social Well-being 163 Perceptions of Change 163 Community Concern 165 Livelihoods, Resource Dependency and Ecological Aspects of Well-being 167 Perceptions of Forest Health and Change 167 Social and Cultural Factors Linked to Well-being 169 Quality of Life 169 Perceptions about ZNP, Park Benefits, and Managers 170 Constraints to Social Well-being 172 Participatory Photography 172 vii Perceptions of Forest Healthy and Ecological Aspects of Social Well-being 173 Perceptions of Forest Health and Change 173 Forest Uses and Dependency 181 Chapter Summary 184 Chapter 7 QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS 186 Analysis of Survey Data 186 Bivariate Analysis 186 Sociodemographic and Community Characteristics 186 Individual Social Well-being 187 Forest Uses and Dependency 189 Quality of Life (QOL) 192 Perceptions about Conservation, ZNP, and Park Managers 195 Bivariate Associations 202 Individual Social Well-being 202 Other Bivariate Associations 206 Ecological Construct: Forest Dependency and Livelihoods 206 Cultural Construct: Conservation Perceptions 206 Multivariate Analysis 208 Chapter Summary 211 Chapter 8 DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS 213 Social Well-being in ZNP 214 Perceptions of Change in Access and Influence on Social Well- Being 214 Community Concerns about Local Access to ZNP 216 Livelihoods, Resource