CHALLENGES AND CONFLICTS OF COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN THE CO-MANAGEMENT OF THE GORONGOSA NATIONAL PARK (PNG)

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.22533/at.ed.216592530071

• Palavras-chave: Co-management, Conservation, Governance, Community, Gorongosa National Park.

• Keywords: Co-management, Conservation, Governance, Community, Gorongosa National Park.

• Abstract:

  Co-management of conservation areas has been widely promoted as an effective approach to balancing biodiversity conservation and sustainable local community development. In Mozambique, the development of conservation areas has gone through different phases, from the colonial period to legal and institutional reforms beginning in 1992. These reforms contributed to the creation of the first natural resource management committees. Although the creation of community management committees was oriented toward conservation by local communities and the sharing of political and social power and economic benefits, their participation in co-management continues to face significant challenges. This article analyzes the main challenges faced by community management committees in the co-management of the PNG. The research followed a mixed approach, based on a questionnaire addressed to the community in the buffer zone (n=295), interviews with managers of the Canda, Matenga, and Nhantadza committees, and non-participant observation. For the analysis of quantitative data, SPSS software and Microsoft Excel were used to prepare graphs. Qualitative data were processed through content analysis and comparative analysis. The results of the research reveal institutional barriers to the full functioning of community management committees, limitations in the technical capacity of the committees, and internal power struggles among local political elites over the control of conservation benefits. Thus, it is concluded that community ownership and participation in the co-management of the PNG do not yet guarantee significant development of local communities.