Bringing back complex socio-ecological realities to the study of CBNRM impacts: A response to Lee and Bond (2018)

Abstract

Lee and Bond (2018)claim to quantify the ecological success of a community-based wildlife conservation intervention in Tanzania. In this reply to their article, we take issue with 3 aspects of their study. First, the study inadequately equates ecological success with increased wildlife and reduced livestock densities. Second, the study fails to adequately account for causality between the Wildlife Management Area (WMA) policy and the observed changes in wildlife and livestock densities. Third, the study misrepresents the reality of community-based conservation in Randilen WMA. Researchers seeking to further our understanding of community-based natural resource management by evaluating its impacts must proceed with careful attention to the complex and dynamic socio-ecologies of the environments they study. Watafiti Lee na Bond (2018) walichapisha andiko lao la kitafiti ambapo wanadai kwamba walipima mafanikio ya kiikolojia yaliyotokana na mpango wa ushirikishaji jamii katika uhifadhi wa wanyamapori nchini Tanzania. Katika utafiti wao, walitumia Eneo la Jumuiya la Hifadhi ya Wanyamapori Randileni (Randileni WMA) lililopo Wilayani Monduli kama mfano. Kuna mambo matatu ambayo tungependa kuyatolea ufafanuzi ikiwa ni sehemu ya majibu yetu kwa andiko lao. Kwanza, utafiti wao umefanya kosa la kutumia ongezeko wa idadi la wanyamapori na kupungua kwa wastani wa idadi ya mifugo kama kiashiria cha matokeo chanya ya kiikolojia. Pili, utafiti wao haujaweza kuonesha ipasavyo uhusiano kati ya sera ya ushirikishwaji (WMA) na mabadiliko waliyoripoti ya kuongezeka kwa idadi ya wanyamapori na kupungua kwa idadi ya mifugo kwenye eneo. Tatu, utafiti wao umeshindwa kuakisi hali halisi ya mpango wa ushirikishaji jamii katika uhifadhi ilivyo huko Randilen WMA. Tunapendekeza kwamba, kwa watafiti wanaolenga kupima matokeo ya mpango wa ushirikishwaji jamii katika usimamizi wa maliasili ili kuongeza uelewa, ni muhimu kuzingatia uchangamano na hali halisi ya muingiliano wa masuala ya kijamii na kiikolojia katika mazingira na maeneo wanayofanyia tafiti zao.