Role of relational social capital in transforming conservation inequalities and conflicts to sustainable solutions in developing countries

Inequalities in socio-economic systems in protected areas accentuate conflicts and loss of biodiversity. In this article, we discursively considered the role and importance of local relational social capital in transforming conservation conflicts to sustainable solutions in developing countries and the Luangwa Valley in Zambia in particular. The Luangwa Valley experiences numerous overlapping conservation conflicts and may be presented as a case study for exploring social change processes. Focus group discussions were employed in conflict definition, stakeholder analysis, conflict mapping and strategy formulations. Findings revealed that socio-economic differences, inequalities and tensions were associated with weak governance systems which were unable to withstand social dynamics in the community, exacerbated by asymmetrical social relationships. It was posited that relational social capital, particularly features of integrative social networks based on modulated power dynamics, should be strengthened. We suggested that future directions to fostering transformative approaches in dealing with proximate and underlying causes of conservation conflicts be focused on innovative consensual mechanisms that sustainably bridge differences between disputants.