Letting Wood Rot: A Case Study on Local Perceptions of Global Conservation Initiatives (Boumba, Niger)
Although there is a pressing need for conservation in Africa and a push for such actions to be directed by the community, there is still much conflict both in academia and on the ground regarding the success and methods of community-based conservation. Employing key-informant interviews, focus group...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Society of Ethnobiology
2011-01-01
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| Series: | Ethnobiology Letters |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://ojs.ethnobiology.org/index.php/ebl/article/view/61 |
| _version_ | 1819139483459649536 |
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| author | Jocelyn Müller Iro Dan Guimbo |
| author_facet | Jocelyn Müller Iro Dan Guimbo |
| author_sort | Jocelyn Müller |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Although there is a pressing need for conservation in Africa and a push for such actions to be directed by the community, there is still much conflict both in academia and on the ground regarding the success and methods of community-based conservation. Employing key-informant interviews, focus group discussions and participant observation, we look at how one community has perceived the conservation actions in their village, Boumba, Niger, and the neighbouring national park, Park-W. This study examines local perceptions of the goals, priorities and methods of conservation in Park-W and the Boumba region. We demonstrate that while participants expressed positive alignment with perceived conservation goals, they did not agree with conservation priorities and felt strongly against the methods. Reframing conservation discourse in the terms of sustainable-use or adaptive management may serve to help translate much of the conservation ethic to local realities. We argue that for local conservation to be culturally sustainable, programmers of conservation must engage the community on their own terms, and recognize the value of local perceptions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T11:23:23Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0d4e853bc595484c82ec244c57b8d7b7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2159-8126 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T11:23:23Z |
| publishDate | 2011-01-01 |
| publisher | Society of Ethnobiology |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ethnobiology Letters |
| spelling | doaj.art-0d4e853bc595484c82ec244c57b8d7b72022-12-21T18:27:48ZengSociety of EthnobiologyEthnobiology Letters2159-81262011-01-0110405010.14237/ebl.1.2010.6156Letting Wood Rot: A Case Study on Local Perceptions of Global Conservation Initiatives (Boumba, Niger)Jocelyn Müller0Iro Dan Guimbo1Tufts University, Biology DepartmentAbdou Moumouni UniversityAlthough there is a pressing need for conservation in Africa and a push for such actions to be directed by the community, there is still much conflict both in academia and on the ground regarding the success and methods of community-based conservation. Employing key-informant interviews, focus group discussions and participant observation, we look at how one community has perceived the conservation actions in their village, Boumba, Niger, and the neighbouring national park, Park-W. This study examines local perceptions of the goals, priorities and methods of conservation in Park-W and the Boumba region. We demonstrate that while participants expressed positive alignment with perceived conservation goals, they did not agree with conservation priorities and felt strongly against the methods. Reframing conservation discourse in the terms of sustainable-use or adaptive management may serve to help translate much of the conservation ethic to local realities. We argue that for local conservation to be culturally sustainable, programmers of conservation must engage the community on their own terms, and recognize the value of local perceptions.http://ojs.ethnobiology.org/index.php/ebl/article/view/61Community-based ConservationNigerParks and PeopleWest Africa |
| spellingShingle | Jocelyn Müller Iro Dan Guimbo Letting Wood Rot: A Case Study on Local Perceptions of Global Conservation Initiatives (Boumba, Niger) Ethnobiology Letters Community-based Conservation Niger Parks and People West Africa |
| title | Letting Wood Rot: A Case Study on Local Perceptions of Global Conservation Initiatives (Boumba, Niger) |
| title_full | Letting Wood Rot: A Case Study on Local Perceptions of Global Conservation Initiatives (Boumba, Niger) |
| title_fullStr | Letting Wood Rot: A Case Study on Local Perceptions of Global Conservation Initiatives (Boumba, Niger) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Letting Wood Rot: A Case Study on Local Perceptions of Global Conservation Initiatives (Boumba, Niger) |
| title_short | Letting Wood Rot: A Case Study on Local Perceptions of Global Conservation Initiatives (Boumba, Niger) |
| title_sort | letting wood rot a case study on local perceptions of global conservation initiatives boumba niger |
| topic | Community-based Conservation Niger Parks and People West Africa |
| url | http://ojs.ethnobiology.org/index.php/ebl/article/view/61 |
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