Thesis (MDF)--Stellenbosch University, 2011. / The proper management of protected areas is important for biodiversity conservation and
continued flow of ecosystem services such as the building up of soil resources and the provision of
clean water. Protected areas provide a means of livelihood for communities on the peripheries of
these protected areas through conservation based development projects and create an opportunity
for people to learn about the environment and wildlife. Protected areas are areas of land and/or
sea especially dedicated to the protection and maintenance of biological diversity, and natural and
associated cultural resources, and management through legal or other means (International Union
for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), 1994). These are special places around the world that are
managed for conservation purposes. Darey, (1998), recommends that protected areas should be
planned and managed as a system, a shift from the previous mindset in which they were
considered as separate entities. The role played by protected areas is vital and is recognized in
most countries including 177 countries who are signatories to the Convention of Biological
Diversity (CBD). The CBD caters for cooperation amongst its members by providing support for
the financing of protected area systems. There exists, therefore a global mandate for and a specific
responsibility to ensure that protected areas are adequately financed.
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife is a statutory nature conservation body mandated with the protection of
natural resources and management of biodiversity in the province of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).
Biodiversity conservation needs to happen both inside and outside of state-controlled protected
areas to create conservation corridors and buffer zones and also to prevent the environmental
degradation taking place as a result of human population growth, habitat destruction, and
unsustainable development. (Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, 2005). The
challenge facing Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife in carrying out this mandate is the lack of adequate
financial resources. The subsidy received is not sufficient to cover all the conservation initiatives
that the entity would like to undertake and so the exploration of alternative financing initiatives is
required.
The aim of this paper is to explore and discuss alternative funding strategies that can be used by
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife to supplement the subsidy received from government. These strategies
will form a blueprint that protected area managers can use to source sustainable alternative
funding that is reliable and environmentally friendly. This study was conducted at Ezemvelo KZN
Wildlife’s head office, based at Queen Elizabeth Park in Pietermaritzburg. The research included
input from the organization’s Hospitality Managers and Conservation Managers spread throughout
the Province. A questionnaire was designed and circulated to draw responses from Executives and
relevant Managers. Interviews to ascertain the organizations sources of funding and future
sources were carried out. Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife official documents such as annual reports,
strategic documents and project plans were reviewed and interpreted. The report showed that
90percent of the organizations funding comes from government or state affiliated organizations.
These sources are neither sufficient nor reliable. Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife cannot plan adequately
before establishing the annual subsidy it will receive from government – its primary funder
(Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, 2008). The research also showed that there are numerous strategies that
the organization can implement to supplement its subsidy. These include the widespread
implementation of Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) strategies and revenue maximization
through improved customer service.
Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife has a great potential to generate sufficient funds through its commercial
services such as camping, accommodation, gates and boating services to name but a few. The
challenge however is to develop an operational strategy that will be devoid of bureaucracy and
promote business best practices and the formation of partnerships with the private sector and the
communities in the form of Public Private Partnerships (PPP’s) and co-management agreements
respectively.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/18194 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Dube, Thabiso B. |
| Contributors | Kloppers, R., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Graduate School of Business. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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