Exploring the impact of climate change on the future of community-based wildlife conservation

Abstract

Community-based conservation (CBC) is a wildlife governance approach popular in areas projected to experience a decline in precipitation due to climate change. A survey of residents in four Namibian CBC areas found that the overwhelming majority of respondents felt that (a) a prolonged drought coincided with an increased rate of human-wildlife conflict (HWC), and (b) costs from HWC outweighed any CBC benefits they received. Perceptions of increased HWC frequency were negatively associated with the likelihood of respondents feeling that wildlife benefits exceeded costs. These findings raise questions about the impact of predicted climate change effects on CBC programs across much of the global south.