The role of local communities in resource management: A case of Okongo Community Forest and Conservancy, Namibia
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Date
2022
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Journal for Studies in Humanites and Social Sciences
Abstract
This paper presens he role o communies in resource managemen, wih parcular
ocus on he Okongo Communiy Fores and Conservancy. The sudy is par o he
main research work ha examined perspecves on communiy-based managemen
pracces, including he conservaon area boundaries, bu mos imporanly, he roles
and responsibilies o various acors wihin he conservaon area. The sudy was
conduced o undersand he sae o communiy-based naural resource managemen
(CBNRM) in he Okongo Communiy Foresry and Conservancy. I also explored he
relaonship beween governmen unconaries and he local resource commiees ha
are in exisence as crical complemenary proponens in he realisaon o susainable
naural resource managemen. The sudy used a mixed research design, comprising
qualiave and quanave mehods, and wih his design, daa collecon mehods
included inerviews and ocus group discussions in our communies in he Okongo
Communiy Fores and Conservancy, namely: Omauni Eas, Omauni Wes, Oshalande
and Kumininenge. A purposive sampling mehod was employed o selec parcipans
or he sudy. The sudy revealed ha he managemen o resources such as waer,
wildlie, grazing areas and oresry was possible hrough managemen commiees.
Mos o he commiees were esablished wih he aid o he governmen. The majoriy
o respondens observed posive relaonships beween he governmen and he
commiees; only ew did no. Membership on such commiees can be aribued o a
srong ineres in he managemen o resources, alhough some members are eleced o
serve in leadership posions irrespecve o heir commimen o resource managemen.
Sadly, here are conics around he managemen o resources. However, hese conics
are eiher resolved sraegically hrough communiy meengs or are direcly deal wih
by he commiees. Overall, communiy parcipaon has grealy improved access and
he inegriy o naural resources by ensuring equal disribuon o resources and services
wihin he conservaon area
Description
This paper, hereore, sheds ligh on CBNRM in
Namibia, wih parcular ocus on he Okongo Communiy Fores and Conservancy in he
norhern par o he counry.
Keywords
Benefits, Comparative, Conservancy, Common-pool resource, Community based natural resource management, Functionaries, Namibia, University of Namibia