Thesis (MTech (Tourism and Hospitality Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2010 / Over the past years, protected areas have been affected by illegal activities, which are
perpetrated by humans and continuations of these activities do not only harm wildlife, but
also the welfare of current, as well as, future generations. Conservation of wildlife cannot be
achieved if local community support is not ensured. This study aims to find whether or not
improved or positive relationships between protected area and people can effect long-term
conservation of wildlife. The main objectives of the study were to investigate conservation
attitudes of the Rwandan community that lives adjacent to the Akagera National Park.
A quantitative survey-based study, which used a self-administered structured and closeended
questionnaire, was undertaken within a period of a month and a half to obtain
information about conservation attitudes within the local community. In addition, qualitative
data was gathered through in-person unstructured interviews with key informants including
local authorities and park officials in order to verify and enrich quantitative data, which was
obtained from the survey. Collected data was analysed with use of the Statistical Package for
Social Science (SPSS) for descriptive statistics in the form of tables and charts. In addition,
statistical tests, using chi-square values at the 0.05 level of significance, were conducted to
determine which factors influence the local community’s conservation attitudes.
The study revealed that the local community support Akagera National Park’s conservation
although they participate in illegal activities within the park. Poaching and livestock grazing
are the main illegal activities that take place at Akagera National Park. The study also found
that people’s awareness of wildlife importance does not necessarily translate into positive
attitudes towards conservation. Problems caused by wildlife, combined with the absence of
economic opportunities from the protected areas, are strong influencing factors regarding the
local community’s conservation attitudes.
The findings of this study suggest that the local community’s support for conservation can
only be achieved if problems that are caused by wildlife are effectively addressed and solved
and people are provided with more economic opportunities, which would allow them to
improve their welfare.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:cput/oai:localhost:20.500.11838/1583 |
| Date | January 2010 |
| Creators | Ngabonziza, Gaetan |
| Publisher | Cape Peninsula University of Technology |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Rights | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/za/ |
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