Protected areas and community relationships in the Sub-Saharan Africa: A case study of Dwesa-Cwebe nature reserve in the Eastern Cape, South Africa

Abstract

Protected areas represent the heart of the world's political and economic commitment to preserve biodiversity and other natural and related cultural resources. Ecologists and conservation biologists believe that among the practical ways of protecting biodiversity is through reserves, parks, wildlife sanctuaries, wilderness and other protected areas. In the Sub-Saharan Africa, unsustainable resource use and increasing human population threaten protected areas as most African rural communities depend on accessing resources found in protected areas: wood, wild fruits and game as a livelihood strategy. As a result, in total, Africa contains 1254 protected areas including 198 marine protected areas, 50 biosphere reserve, 80 wetlands of international importance and 34 world heritage sites. The success of long-term existence of protected areas depends on local people's support and understanding of what protected areas advocate for. To get an understanding of the complex relationships between protected areas and adjacent communities, the study was undertaken at Dwesa-Cwebe Nature Reserve in the Eastern Cape in South Africa. The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between Eastern Cape Parks and the adjacent communities at Dwesa-Cwebe Nature Reserve. A sample size of 120 respondents sampled from four villages (Cwebe, Hobeni, Ntlangula and Ntubeni) that are within 10-15 km because they are the ones mostly affected positively or negatively by the reserve. In each of the four villages the researcher sampled 30 respondents. The study found that conflicts between protected areas and communities are due to resource extraction, strict rules on forest resources use, and access, rude behaviour, or harassment by park rangers generate negative attitudes toward protected areas.