IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bcp/journl/v8y2024i8p4302-4318.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Collaborative Governance in Africa’s National Parks: A Systematic Literature Review of Models and Practices

Author

Listed:
  • Christian Emmanuel Bruku

    (Temple University College of Liberal Arts, Department of Geography and Urban Studies 308 Gladfelter Hall, 1115 Polett Walk Philadelphia, PA 19122 USA)

Abstract

Collaborative governance has emerged as a response to the weaknesses of centralized state-driven protectionist approaches in the governance of national parks. This paper explores in detail how collaborative governance is modelled in Africa’s national parks; the factors that enable or hinder the successful implementation of collaborative governance models in Africa’s national parks; and the effects that the implementation of collaborative governance models induces for fringe communities of those parks. The paper draws upon selected case studies in Africa and adopts Ansell and Gash’s (2008) model of collaborative governance as a frame to analyze the cases. By sourcing data from various databases that publish work on protected areas, this analysis relied on only parks that have a form of collaborative governance in place, thus avoiding paper parks which lack such institutionalized and operationalized governance mechanisms. The results show that collaborative governance is modelled in three main ways depending on the level of power and responsibilities shared and the number of stakeholders involved in the collaboration process. These models include devolution, partnership and de-concentration. This analysis shows that the fringe communities with greater participation in decision-making processes observe more positive outcomes from collaboration, reflecting improved biodiversity, healthy human-wildlife interaction, and peaceful coexistence between park managers and local people. Furthermore, this paper observed that Non-Governmental Organizations’ participation as negotiators for improved access to resources, and the provision of alternative livelihoods incentivize actors’ adherence to the terms of collaboration. Further research on the limits of power each collaborator wields, and the legal frameworks on collaborative governance will be useful for sustaining the model of collaboration deployed within a particular park area. In summary, this paper contributes to the literature on the collaborative governance of protected areas in Africa.

Suggested Citation

  • Christian Emmanuel Bruku, 2024. "Collaborative Governance in Africa’s National Parks: A Systematic Literature Review of Models and Practices," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 8(8), pages 4302-4318, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:bcp:journl:v:8:y:2024:i:8:p:4302-4318
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.rsisinternational.org/journals/ijriss/Digital-Library/volume-8-issue-8/4302-4318.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://rsisinternational.org/journals/ijriss/articles/collaborative-governance-in-africas-national-parks-a-systematic-literature-review-of-models-and-practices/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jesse Sey Ayivor & Johnie Kodjo Nyametso & Sandra Ayivor, 2020. "Protected Area Governance and Its Influence on Local Perceptions, Attitudes and Collaboration," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(9), pages 1-20, September.
    2. Sabrina Dressel & Annelie Sjölander-Lindqvist & Maria Johansson & Göran Ericsson & Camilla Sandström, 2021. "Achieving Social and Ecological Outcomes in Collaborative Environmental Governance: Good Examples from Swedish Moose Management," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-21, February.
    3. Agnes Batory & Sara Svensson, 2020. "Regulating Collaboration: The Legal Framework of Collaborative Governance in Ten European Countries," International Journal of Public Administration, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 43(9), pages 780-789, July.
    4. Lara Domínguez & Colin Luoma, 2020. "Decolonising Conservation Policy: How Colonial Land and Conservation Ideologies Persist and Perpetuate Indigenous Injustices at the Expense of the Environment," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(3), pages 1-22, February.
    5. Mayaka, Theodore B., 2002. "Wildlife Co-Management in the Benoue National Park-Complex, Cameroon: A Bumpy Road to Institutional Development," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 30(11), pages 2001-2016, November.
    6. Melphon A. Mayaka & Gary Lacey & Christian M. Rogerson, 2020. "Empowerment process in community-based tourism: Friend relationship perspective," Development Southern Africa, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(5), pages 791-808, September.
    7. Ziqi Meng & Jinwei Dong & Erle C. Ellis & Graciela Metternicht & Yuanwei Qin & Xiao-Peng Song & Sara Löfqvist & Rachael D. Garrett & Xiaopeng Jia & Xiangming Xiao, 2023. "Post-2020 biodiversity framework challenged by cropland expansion in protected areas," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 6(7), pages 758-768, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Guangdong Li & Chuanglin Fang & James E. M. Watson & Siao Sun & Wei Qi & Zhenbo Wang & Jianguo Liu, 2024. "Mixed effectiveness of global protected areas in resisting habitat loss," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-17, December.
    2. Lu, Yongquan & Liu, Guilin & Xian, Yuyang & Tang, Jiaqi & Zhong, Liming, 2024. "Climate change brings both opportunities and challenges to rural revitalization in China: Evidence from apple geographical indication predictions," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 216(C).
    3. Junhui Tong & Yi Li & Yongliang Yang, 2024. "System Construction, Tourism Empowerment, and Community Participation: The Sustainable Way of Rural Tourism Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-20, January.
    4. Qiujin Chen & Yuqi Zhang & Yin Zhang & Mingliang Kong, 2022. "Examining Social Equity in the Co-Management of Terrestrial Protected Areas: Perceived Fairness of Local Communities in Giant Panda National Park, China," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-17, September.
    5. Gabriella Esposito De Vita & Cristina Visconti & Gantuya Ganbat & Marina Rigillo, 2023. "A Collaborative Approach for Triggering Environmental Awareness: The 3Rs for Sustainable Use of Natural Resources in Ulaanbaatar (3R4UB)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(18), pages 1-24, September.
    6. Shah, Shipra & Race, Digby, 2024. "Greening the blue Pacific: Lessons on reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+)," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 166(C).
    7. Meine van Noordwijk, 2021. "Agroforestry-Based Ecosystem Services: Reconciling Values of Humans and Nature in Sustainable Development," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-24, July.
    8. Alberto Jonay Rodríguez-Darias & Pablo Díaz-Rodríguez, 2023. "Some Considerations on the Implications of Protected Areas for Sustainable Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-15, February.
    9. Milner-Gulland, E.J. & Addison, Prue & Arlidge, William & Baker, Julia & Booth, Hollie & Brooks, Thomas & Bull, Joseph & Burgass, Michael & Ekstrom, Jonathan & Ermgassen, Sophus zu, 2020. "Four Steps for the Earth: mainstreaming the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework," SocArXiv gjps6, Center for Open Science.
    10. Zoltán Csedő & Máté Zavarkó & Balázs Vaszkun & Sára Koczkás, 2021. "Hydrogen Economy Development Opportunities by Inter-Organizational Digital Knowledge Networks," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-26, August.
    11. Graeme Reed & Nicolas D. Brunet & Deborah McGregor & Curtis Scurr & Tonio Sadik & Jamie Lavigne & Sheri Longboat, 2024. "There is no word for ‘nature’ in our language: rethinking nature-based solutions from the perspective of Indigenous Peoples located in Canada," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 177(2), pages 1-24, February.
    12. Kusters, Koen & de Graaf, Maartje & Ascarrunz, Nataly & Benneker, Charlotte & Boot, René & van Kanten, Rudi & Livingstone, John & Maindo, Alphonse & Mendoza, Heidi & Purwanto, Edi & Rodríguez, Carlos , 2022. "Formalizing community forest tenure rights: A theory of change and conditions for success," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 141(C).
    13. Nicola Favretto & Sheona Shackleton & Susannah M. Sallu & Tali Hoffman, 2021. "Editorial for Special Issue: “Collaboration and Multi-Stakeholder Engagement in Landscape Governance and Management in Africa: Lessons from Practice”," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-5, March.
    14. J. Marc Foggin & Daniele Brombal & Ali Razmkhah, 2021. "Thinking Like a Mountain: Exploring the Potential of Relational Approaches for Transformative Nature Conservation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-18, November.
    15. Michele F. Fontefrancesco & Dauro M. Zocchi & Andrea Pieroni, 2023. "The Intersections between Food and Cultural Landscape: Insights from Three Mountain Case Studies," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-25, March.
    16. Pietro De Marinis & Samuele De Petris & Filippo Sarvia & Giacinto Manfron & Evelyn Joan Momo & Tommaso Orusa & Gianmarco Corvino & Guido Sali & Enrico Mondino Borgogno, 2021. "Supporting Pro-Poor Reforms of Agricultural Systems in Eastern DRC (Africa) with Remotely Sensed Data: A Possible Contribution of Spatial Entropy to Interpret Land Management Practices," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-22, December.
    17. O’Leary Simpson, Fergus & Titeca, Kristof & Pellegrini, Lorenzo & Muller, Thomas & Muliri Dubois, Mwamibantu, 2025. "Indigenous forest destroyers or guardians? The indigenous Batwa and their ancestral forests in Kahuzi-Biega National Park, DRC," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 186(C).
    18. Wong, Grace Y. & Holm, Minda & Pietarinen, Niina & Ville, Alizee & Brockhaus, Maria, 2022. "The making of resource frontier spaces in the Congo Basin and Southeast Asia: A critical analysis of narratives, actors and drivers in the scientific literature," World Development Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 27(C).
    19. Walter Musakwa & Trynos Gumbo & Gaynor Paradza & Ephraim Mpofu & Nesisa Analisa Nyathi & Ntlakala B. Selamolela, 2020. "Partnerships and Stakeholder Participation in the Management of National Parks: Experiences of the Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(11), pages 1-17, October.
    20. Sangha, Kamaljit K & Ahammad, Ronju & Russell-Smith, Jeremy & Costanza, Robert, 2024. "Payments for Ecosystem Services opportunities for emerging Nature-based Solutions: Integrating Indigenous perspectives from Australia," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bcp:journl:v:8:y:2024:i:8:p:4302-4318. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Dr. Pawan Verma (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://rsisinternational.org/journals/ijriss/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.