Rural communities living in the neighbourhoods of protected areas are among the least developed communities in the LDCs. In the global quest for sustainable development and democracy, participation in natural resource management by these communities has become an important component in rural development and biodiversity conservation programmes. The proliferation of CBNRM initiatives in the LDCs, however, has so far not yielded any fundamental reductions in poverty and insecurity in the targeted communities. This has raised questions about the viability of CBNRM as a strategy for articulating the development objectives of local communities. Questions have also been raised about the ideological bases of CBNRM. This dissertation presents an analysis of participation in a CBNRM initiative by the Makuleke community of South Africa. Focus is on the issues of community control and gender in the CBNRM process. Findings by the study show that the preconditions for community-level control have largely been met and the Makuleke CBO structure has been constituted as a representative and legally accountable entity. However, there apparently subsists a view that indigenous rural communities like the Makuleke cannot be fully entrusted with leadership roles in CBNRM. The study also finds that despite the securing of gender rights of access to bases of social power and productive wealth through legislative instruments, some social structures and attitudes that favour male dominance remain entrenched in the Makuleke community. These militate against the strategic participation by women in environmental governance and in the benefits stream emanating from CBNRM. The dissertation argues that the success of the CBNRM initiatives such as the Makuleke’s will depend on a more complex interplay of variables tan solely on the empowerment of the community through strengthening of CBO structures, securing resource rights, entry into the benefits stream and developing of capacities. Success will largely depend on the ability of CBNRM programmes to achieve fundamental reductions in poverty and insecurity. Since there are multiple jurisdictions in CBNRM, LDC states will have to strike a difficult balance or make a critical choice between promoting the interests of Northern agencies in order to secure conditions of production and defending the interests of local communities in order to secure social integration. The responses by LDC states will have significant implications on the success of CBNRM initiatives. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Geography, Geoinformatics and Meteorology / Unrestricted

This study is about the Rural Tourism Development Strategy as a means to a co-ordinated, integrated and sustainable tourism in rural areas for the enhancement of the quality of life and tourist satisfaction. The empirical domain includes a critical analysis of the South African Tourism Strategy from a Rural Tourism perspective in comparison with International Renowned Rural Tourism Strategies. The research therefore adopts a comparative approach and is structures by pre-determined objectives. Theoretical discussions and research survey have been employed to achieve the research aim and to answer the research question. The research examines the potential of Rural Tourism in the Limpopo Province, presents National and Provincial Tourism Strategies, the Australian Rural Tourism Strategy, rural tourism participants and key issues that are crucial for Rural Tourism success. The conceptual analysis concludes that Rural Tourism is an internationally recognised unique tourism brand and that the Limpopo Province is rich in rural tourism resources. However, the Province lacks a co-ordinated an integrated Rural Tourism Development Strategy. Key issues and participants in rural tourism have been suggested. These issues from the guidelines for a Rural Tourism Development Strategy. The issues are: 1) Rural Product and Enterprise Development, 2) Accreditation and Industry standards, 3) Education and Training, 4) Marketing and Marketing Analysis, 5) Industry and Community leadership, 6) Transport and Infrastructure, 7) Provincial and Local government, 8) Policy and Support strategies. The proposed guidelines for a rural tourism development strategy are seen as a universal framework dependent on, and influenced by the context and environment in which the framework is applied. The proposed guidelines can contribute to tourism development in rural areas and enrich the personal rural tourists’ satisfaction, contribute to the protection of both the cultural and natural tourism resources on which rural tourism depends, integrate nature-based and cultural tourism activities, stimulate sustainable resource use and spread tourism economic, social and environmental benefits to rural areas where it matters most. / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Geography, Geoinformatics and Meteorology / MSc / Unrestricted