Individual Presentation Submission

COMMUNITY PERCEPTIONS ON A PROPOSED GAME RESERVE: A CASE STUDY OF LOZIBA WILDERNESS, NORTHERN KZN
South Africa has seen a notable trend on privately owned land in which farms are transformed
to game reserves, particularly in rural areas. This transformation is associated with declining
agricultural productivity on marginal lands, the growth in the ‘wildlife economy’ and game
farming industry, and the increasing demand for the conservation of wildlife. However, these
transformations introduce significant changes in the property regime where land restitution
is involved, as it redefines conditions for the access and the control of land, the creation of
game reserves faces significant challenges for both project developers and communities.
The aim of the study was to investigate the perceptions of communities and other stakeholders involved regarding the opportunities and the risks/challenges for a prospective game reserve. The study focused on the proposed expansion project of the Mawana Game Farm to include restituted farm land and form the Loziba Wilderness, near Gluckstadt and the Black Imfolozi river in Northern KwaZulu-Natal.The study revealed that communities allow for projects to be implemented on their space on conditional basis, which include the maximum beneficiation for local people, i.e. job opportunities, access to park and grazing land.The study also revealed that wildlife conservation perceptions for this specific project are informed by two factors, which are 1. Interpersonal relations within the project developers and their interaction with the local communities and 2. Community relations within the communities and their leaders. The study demonstrates a need for stakeholders to be attentive to factors such as micro-politics and power relations, expectations, past injustices, land politics and distrust between project initiators and local communities.

The Greater Kruger landscape is a region of South Africa with a rich diversity of wildlife and plant species, but it is also an area where Human-Wildlife Conflict(HWC) has severe impacts on the livelihoods of historically disadvantaged communities, especially communities adjacent protected areas. The methodologies currently in place to address HWC issues are ineffective in meeting the ultimate goal of linking people with nature - the duration of projects aimed at addressing HWC issues, nature and scope of these projects, high-level planning and decision making, involvement of the “communities” greatly affected by these issues and very little consideration of indigenous knowledge systems. Moreover, the strategies for raising public tolerance of wildlife damage include compensation schemes, tourism revenue sharing with communities living adjacent the parks, use of natural resources like medicinal plants and basketry fibre by local communities, harvesting of Mopani Worms and community outreach programmes. However, it is important to note that these strategies are inadequate as the gap between people and nature remains wide.
To address these challenges, convivial forms of conservation that prioritize socio-economic development and community empowerment are needed. By focusing on sustainable and equitable economic development in historically disadvantaged communities, conservation efforts can help alleviate the impacts of HWC on livelihoods. This approach involves creating meaningful opportunities for local communities to participate in the conservation and management of their natural resources.

Exploring convivial conservation theory for socio-economic development in historically disadvantaged communities of the Greater Kruger landscape
The Greater Kruger landscape is a region of South Africa with a rich diversity of wildlife and plant species, but it is also an area where Human-Wildlife Conflict(HWC) has severe impacts on the livelihoods of historically disadvantaged communities, especially communities adjacent protected areas. The methodologies currently in place to address HWC issues are ineffective in meeting the ultimate goal of linking people with nature - the duration of projects aimed at addressing HWC issues, nature and scope of these projects, high-level planning and decision making, involvement of the “communities” greatly affected by these issues and very little consideration of indigenous knowledge systems. Moreover, the strategies for raising public tolerance of wildlife damage include compensation schemes, tourism revenue sharing with communities living adjacent the parks, use of natural resources like medicinal plants and basketry fibre by local communities, harvesting of Mopani Worms and community outreach programmes. However, it is important to note that these strategies are inadequate as the gap between people and nature remains wide.
To address these challenges, convivial forms of conservation that prioritize socio-economic development and community empowerment are needed. By focusing on sustainable and equitable economic development in historically disadvantaged communities, conservation efforts can help alleviate the impacts of HWC on livelihoods. This approach involves creating meaningful opportunities for local communities to participate in the conservation and management of their natural resources.

An assessment in 2018 of the jobs contributed by the biodiversity sector found, that more than 418 000 jobs in South Africa were related to biodiversity. One category of biodiversity-related jobs is those involved in conserving biodiversity. This under-utilised category has the potential for addressing the high levels of unemployment in a megadiverse country with corresponding levels of endemic biodiversity. Between 2020-2022, SANBI was involved in two presidency-led initiatives, aimed at catalysing the economy following the devasting effects of Covid-19 pandemic. These projects were addressing the serious problem of youth unemployment, which stood at 45% in 2022. Among the more than 4 000 employment opportunities created under these initiatives, were jobs involving clearing invasive plants, restoring wetlands, gathering biodiversity data and internships for young graduates. The outcomes revealed both biodiversity and socio-economic benefits. Efforts at restoration had a visible impact on the landscape, and observable outcomes such as the revitalisation of springs and streams that provide communities with water. The most obvious socio-economic benefit came from the wages that gave individuals and their families more spending power making them less vulnerable to environmental and socio-economic shocks. Other benefits were noted reductions in crime, increase in bank accounts, development of skilled teams, further opportunities for self-employment, ability to be resilient to climate change and reduced time spent on collecting water to meet household needs. Both biodiversity and socio-economic outcomes gain from a multiplier effect where the actions of individuals can accumulate throughout communities and across the diverse landscapes in South Africa.

An assessment in 2018 of the jobs contributed by the biodiversity sector found, that more than 418 000 jobs in South Africa were related to biodiversity. One category of biodiversity-related jobs is those involved in conserving biodiversity. This under-utilised category has the potential for addressing the high levels of unemployment in a megadiverse country with corresponding levels of endemic biodiversity. Between 2020-2022, SANBI was involved in two presidency-led initiatives, aimed at catalysing the economy following the devasting effects of Covid-19 pandemic. These projects were addressing the serious problem of youth unemployment, which stood at 45% in 2022. Among the more than 4 000 employment opportunities created under these initiatives, were jobs involving clearing invasive plants, restoring wetlands, gathering biodiversity data and internships for young graduates. The outcomes revealed both biodiversity and socio-economic benefits. Efforts at restoration had a visible impact on the landscape, and observable outcomes such as the revitalisation of springs and streams that provide communities with water. The most obvious socio-economic benefit came from the wages that gave individuals and their families more spending power making them less vulnerable to environmental and socio-economic shocks. Other benefits were noted reductions in crime, increase in bank accounts, development of skilled teams, further opportunities for self-employment, ability to be resilient to climate change and reduced time spent on collecting water to meet household needs. Both biodiversity and socio-economic outcomes gain from a multiplier effect where the actions of individuals can accumulate throughout communities and across the diverse landscapes in South Africa.