Community Development and Conservation: A Case Study from Maputo Special Reserve, Mozambique 2019

The main goal of Peace Parks Foundation (PPF) is the conservation of biodiverse transfrontier conservation areas (TFCA’s) in Southern Africa. However, the foundation’s mission has grown since its founding 20 years ago to incorporate the active engagement of communities that live in and around these areas. PPF has learned from the extensive experience of their employees (project managers, field technicians, and technical experts alike) that conservation efforts are far more effective when they are considered within the framework of the four C’s: conservation, community, commerce, and commitment. Through the engagement of local communities, the beneficial multiplier effects of growing ecotourism industries could be amplified in communities, pressure on natural resources within the TFCAs could be alleviated, and the rewards of conservation could reach more people. These benefits incentivize communities to conserve natural resources, and to shift away from more extractive and unsustainable practices.

This field report will focus on Maputo Special Reserve (MSR) which is a part of the larger Lubombo TFCA. Through 11 weeks of fieldwork with PPF, I evaluated their community development program in MSR, focusing on four main projects, and provided recommendations. MSR has made exciting progress recently with the restocking of wildlife, its merger with Ponta de Ouro Partial Marine Reserve (PPMR), the construction of new roads and infrastructure, and the growth of the ecotourism industry, including a large investment from the World Bank in June 2018. As PPF deals with rapid growth and expansion, it will be important to maintain an adaptive community development program to ensure that the growth and investment across various sectors brings sustainable development to these communities. There are also larger implications coming out of this report regarding the ongoing discussion of population growth around protected areas.

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• MSR and community benefit