Conflict and Cooperation In Community-Based Wildlife Management In Sub-Saharan Africa: A Comparative Case Study of Ethiopia, Namibia, and Tanzania

Authors:

Abstract: Why do some communities in Africa have relatively more conflict-ridden regimes of community-based wildlife management (CBWM), while others foster greater trust and cooperation, thereby reducing both inter-communal and intra-group conflicts? This study seeks to provide a schema of the key drivers and factors of conflict and cooperation in different cases of CBWM in Africa. Single and in-depth studies of conflict and cooperation in CBWM initiatives are plentiful, but there is a dearth of comparative case studies that uncover macro-and meso-level data to identify and categorize various factors contributing to cooperation through engendering a high degree of intra-communal trust OR precipitate conflict through externally induced socio-economic inequality that undermines social trust. Through comparative analysis of cases that possess dissimilar attributes of macro-economic and communal characteristics while holding “the biophysical element” constant, this study is designed to address this crucial gap in our understanding of conflict and cooperation in community-based management of natural resources.

Track: DEI

Keywords: Community-based wildlife management; Inequality; Social Trust