Evaluate the implementation of Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs)
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Date
2010
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Sokoine University of Agriculture
Abstract
A study to evaluate the implementation of Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs)
with reference to Twatwatwa pilot WMA Kilosa district was conducted from
October 2007 to December, 2007. Specifically the study assessed the involvement of
local communities in the pilot WMA, assessed the capacity and ability of
communities in the process required for the implementation of pilot WMA,
identified the benefits and damages to local communities as a result of pilot WMA
implementation and found out the contribution made by facilitators towards WMA
implementation. A cross sectional research design was adopted. Data collection
process involved the use of structured questionnaire. Sampling intensity was set at
10% for Twatwatwa , Mbwade and Rudewa villages while a 5% sampling intensity
for Msowero village was adopted. A total of 280 respondents were involved in this
exercise. To supplement the information obtained from questionnaire, key
informants and focus group discussion were used. The data collected by
questionnaires were analyzed using Statistical package for social sciences (SPSS)
computer software. Chi square (χ 2 ) was used to test the association between
respondents’ level of education and their involvement in pilot WMA activities.
Results showed that there was a significant association between the two variables
(p<0.01) Results for education level indicate that 67.9% of respondents had primary
education, 3.6% secondary education, 19.6% had no formal education while 8.9%
had adult education. The results indicate that the highest number of the respondents
(51.1%) was aged between 31 and 45 years. Most of respondents (93.6%) were
males while 6.4% were females. A significant number of the respondents (76.6%)
were married.
Results showed that 85.0% of respondents were engaged in
agriculture while only 15.0% were engaged in livestock keeping. The majority of
villagers (95.0%) were not involved in pilot WMA activities ever since the
implementation of WMA became stalled. The highest number of respondents
(97.1%) indicated that villagers were not capable to implement WMA on their own.
Most of the respondents (71.0%) had no benefits from pilot WMA. Contributions
made by facilitators towards WMA implementation were not enough. The study
concludes that implementation of Twatwatwa WMA stagnated mainly due to conflict
between peasants and livestock keepers as well as due lack of funds that was
supposed to come from the Government and NGOs. Furthermore, villagers were no
longer involved in pilot WMA, had no capacity and capability to implement the
WMA on their own owing to lack of expertise, had fewer benefits than costs and had
received inadequate contributions from the Government and NGOs for the purpose
of WMA implementation. The study recommends that the Government must help
member villages to permanently resolve their conflict. Government should assist
villagers to acquire funds for WMA implementation process. Villagers need to be
educated on WMA issues as this will enable them to become involved in the daily
running of the WMA.
Description
Keywords
Wildlife Management
Citation
Kalimba, A.F (2010)Evaluate the implementation of Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) . Morogoro;Sokoine University of Agriculture.