ABSTRACT

Game Management Areas in Zambia aim to combine nature conservation with economic empowerment of rural households. This study determines the impact of community-based wildlife management and participation in related community institutions on household welfare. The results indicate that the gains from living in Game Management Areas and from participating in natural resource management are large but unevenly distributed. Only Game Management Areas with limited alternative livelihoods exhibit significant consumption benefits. However, the gains accrue mainly to the relatively well off, while the poor do not gain even if they participate. The results also show that infrastructure development does not necessarily translate into household level consumption gains in the short run. The design of community-based natural resource management programmes needs to respond to the inherent diversity among both the national parks and the community members. There is a need to address impediments to effective participation by the majority of the community members.

Notes

1.

The study was conducted in the GMAs and non-GMAs of four park systems—(a) Bangweulu (including Kasanka, Lavushi, and Isangano National Parks), (b) Kafue (Kafue, Blue Lagoon, and Lochinvar National Parks), (c) Lower Zambezi (Lower Zambezi National Park), and (d) Luangwa (North and South Luangwa National Park).

2.

Some GMAs in the northern edge of North Luangwa National Park were dropped from the sample due to the absence of corresponding control areas close to the park.

3.

Average exchange rate in 2006 was US$1 = 3600.00 ZMK.

4.

See Table A2 in the Appendix for the estimation results of the full model. Participation models for the individual park systems were also estimated but their results are not reported in order to save space. We don't report these regression results to save space. The coefficients were also not statistically significant.

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