Partnerships and Stakeholder Participation in the Management of National Parks: Experiences of the Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe

Abstract

National parks play an important role in maintaining natural ecosystems which are important sources of income and livelihood sustenance. Most national parks in Southern Africa are managed by their states. Before 2007, Gonarezhou National Park was managed by the Zimbabwe Parks Management and Wildlife Authority, which faced challenges in maintaining its biodiversity, community relations and infrastructure. However, in 2017 the Frankfurt Zoological Society and the Zimbabwe Parks Management and Wildlife Authority formed an innovative partnership under the Gonarezhou Conservation Trust (GCT). This study examines the relationship between GCT management, Gonarezhou National Park stakeholders and communities as well as the impact of the relationship on biodiversity and ecosystems. The study also highlights challenges faced and lessons learned in managing Gonarezhou as a protected area. To obtain the information, key informant interviews, Landsat satellite imagery, secondary data from previous studies and government sources were utilized. The results indicate that the concerted efforts of the Gonarezhou Conservation Trust to manage the park are starting to bear fruit in improving biodiversity conservation, ecosystem management and engaging communities. However, challenges such as governance obstacles, problematic stakeholder management, maintaining trust in community relations, ensuring sustainability, managing the adverse impacts of climate change and human-wildlife conflicts must still be navigated to ensure the park’s sustainable management. Notwithstanding challenges, we argue that a partnership arrangement such as the Gonarezhou Conservation Trust is a desirable model that can be applied in national parks in Zimbabwe and Africa for better biodiversity management and tourism.

Editorial for Special Issue: “Collaboration and Multi-Stakeholder Engagement in Landscape Governance and Management in Africa: Lessons from Practice”

“…1. CO-DESIGN AND CO-PRODUCE: Most papers highlight co-design and knowledge co-production as critical to inclusive and sustainable landscape management but also recognised that there are barriers to achieving this in practice (Favretto et al [1], Williams et al [2], Cockburn et al [3], Njoroge et al [4], Musakwa et al [5], Kusters et al [6]). Several of the lessons that follow highlight ways to address some of these barriers.…”

“…History can also lead to inequality, with some stakeholder groups benefiting from past policy decisions, while others suffer the damage of displacement or being criminalised for their continued livelihood practices. Musakwa et al [5] show that while stakeholder participation and partnership in the management of national parks in Zimbabwe has served wildlife conservation purposes, the increase of elephant populations has resulted in human-wildlife conflicts and generated negative livelihood outcomes for local communities. As noted by Ayivor et al [8] in a study of land governance in Ghana, the protected areas system has fuelled antagonistic relationships between communities and protected area officials, resulting in the criminalisation of certain livelihood-related activities essential for local people's survival.…”

“…Building the capacity and social capital of the less powerful actors is necessary to ensure they can organise themselves, access relevant information, learn about their rights and develop negotiation skills (Cockburn et al [3]). Musakwa et al [5] argue that both formal and informal opportunities must be created to build the kind of relationships that can support sustained and productive engagement. Direct consultations, capacity-building workshops, or demonstration projects to inform local stakeholders of the potential benefits and trade-offs concerning land-use practices have proven to be valuable for giving greater legitimacy to local communities, enhancing their knowledge, and engaging them in sustainable livelihood and conservation activities (Falayi et al [7]).…”

“…[2] systematic review stresses the importance of bringing in all sources of knowledge across science, practice and local-level realities. By fostering an environment where the different knowledge sources and systems are considered equal (e.g., through multi-stakeholder collaborations in local landscape research, the promotion of inclusive consultations, integrated and holistic landscape management, and the use and transmission of indigenous local and traditional knowledge) stakeholders are able to expand their shared understanding, learn from each other, and build common knowledge towards improved landscape management, governance, and planning (Favretto et al [1], Musakwa et al [5], Ayivor et al [8], Omoding et al [9]). Focusing on the South African experiences on landscape stewardship, Cockburn et al [3] observe that enabling frequent interaction and collective actions among actors in smaller pockets within a landscape can help to build common knowledge and relational agency.…”

Biodiversity of the Regional Landscape Park Samara Plavni within the first large reservoir in Europe Biodiversity of the Regional Landscape Park Samara Plavni within the first large reservoir in Europe

“…Since then, the nature conservation movement has been actively developing and the expansion of protected areas has taken place. After all, the creation nature reserves is an effective tool for the natural restoration of species (Musakwa et al, 2020;Thieme et al, 2020). Conservation and monitoring of biodiversity in protected areas, the importance of zoning of such areas are subjects of debate around the world (Becken et al, 2014;Hülber et al, 2017).…”