Putting People in Parks: a case study on the impact of community involvement in conservation

Traditional methods of conservation involving the development of strict park boundaries have proven ineffective on a global scale as they do not take into consideration the needs and desires of local communities. This paper demonstrates that incorporating community involvement into the management of conservation areas is a more effective means of developing local-specific and sustainable conservation programs than the traditional park system. These community-based conservation projects have been adopted in both developed and developing countries worldwide. By comparing two case study community-based conservation projects in a developed (Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve in Canada) and a developing (Richtersveld Transfrontier Park in South Africa) country, this paper reveals differences and similarities that can be applied to the incorporation of community involvement in conservation as a whole. The main difference between community-based conservation in developing and developed countries is the emphasis placed on rural development over conservation as a management goal; with developing countries emphasizing rural development and developed countries emphasizing conservation. Despite differences in the importance of rural development, many similarities lie between community-based conservation in developing and developed countries, such as the mindset of local people and the human rights issues involving land claims. The similarities and differences between community-based conservation in developing and developed countries are necessary to better adapt conservation to local needs and the long-term sustainability of natural resources.