Challenges of Protecting Protected Area in Ethiopia: The Case of Maze National Park, in SNNPR in Gamo Gofa Zone
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Date
2014-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Even if Ethiopia has various protected areas in different part, the areas (including Maze National Park) have been challenged largely by human-induced constraints. However, unlike the other known protected areas of Ethiopia, the challenges facing Maze National Park were not rigorously investigated. So, the main objective of this study was to assess the major management challenges and conflicts between local people and park managers. Survey questionnaire was employed to collect primary data and literature was reviewed to acquire secondary data in order to assess the socio-economic situation of households, and problems of natural resource management. Four kebeles were selected using purposively sampling from out of 17 kebeles in and around MazeNP. In addition to questionnaire, four focus group discussions were made with park staff and other eight key informants(two from each kebele); and again, other ten focus groups(five from park resource dependents and five from non-park resources dependents) were used to acquire data. Participants of focus group discussion and key informants (except households of local people) have been selected by purposive sampling. Result of the study revealed that Grazing (open), uncontrolled fire, expansion of farmland, cutting living tree, conflict, hunting, and voluntary settlement on the government side are the major management problems of the Park. Most respondents had a negative attitude towards conservation of the Park for two main reasons: frustration of losing free access for grazing and their interest to expand cultivated land into the park area. Attitudes were significantly related to locally perceived benefits, education, family size and age of the local people. The perception of the local people on the conservation and management of the resource completely contradicts with the views of staff members of the park. Key words: management, challenges of Maze National Park, livestock, fire, attitude, conservation
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Keywords
Management, challenges of Maze National Park, Livestock, Attitude Conservation, Fire