Browsing by Subject "Community participation"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
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    Environmental Management for Malaria Control: Knowledge and Practices in Mvomero District, Tanzania
    (2008-04-21T15:21:10Z) Randell, Heather
    Malaria is the leading cause of death in Tanzania, killing 100,000-125,000 people annually, the majority of which are children under five. Environmental conditions play an important role in transmission of the disease, and therefore regulating these conditions can help to reduce disease burden. Environmental management practices for disease control (e.g. draining stagnant water and eliminating mosquito breeding habitats) can be implemented at the community level as a complement to other malaria control methods. This study assesses current knowledge and practices related to mosquito ecology and environmental management in Mvomero District, a rural, agricultural area in Tanzania. A total of 408 household surveys, 4 focus group discussions, and 3 in-depth interviews were conducted in 10 villages in the district. Results indicate that while most respondents understand the link between mosquitoes and malaria, many do not have an in-depth understanding of mosquito ecology. For example, 30% of respondents did not know where mosquito larvae live and nearly 40% incorrectly believed that cutting grasses and bushes around the home reduces mosquito abundance. Regarding environmental management practices, 50% of respondents reported cleaning residential surroundings to protect themselves from malaria and 18% drained stagnant water. Respondents with greater knowledge of mosquito ecology and environmental management were significantly more likely to perform these practices. Qualitative results highlighted community beliefs that environmental management is an important method for malaria control, and that education is necessary to increase community participation in these activities. The findings indicate that an educational program highlighting mosquito ecology and effective environmental management techniques would be an important step in increasing community participation in environmental management for malaria control in the region.
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    Establishing a Socioeconomic Baseline of Sea Turtle Ecotourism in Baja California, Sur
    (2009-04-24T17:08:41Z) Finkbeiner, Elena
    Baja California Sur provides vitally important habitat to five of seven species of sea turtles. All five species have long been subject to direct and indirect exploitation in the region, and federal intervention has largely failed to address conservation goals. A powerful opportunity exists to incentivize sea turtle conservation by means of ecotourism, as locals can use turtles non-consumptively to their socio-economic benefit. However, ecotourism is a complex multi-faceted endeavor built upon a mix of social, economic, and environmental factors. Community participation, a central component of ecotourism, depends on local perceptions and realities, but is often overlooked in ecotourism implementation. The purpose of my research is to describe and contextualize community perception and involvement in sea turtle ecotourism, with existing infrastructure and resources in the region. To achieve this goal, oral surveys, semi-structured interviews, and participant observation techniques were administered in communities throughout Baja California Sur during the summer of 2008. My findings suggest that local perceptions of ecotourism are highly optimistic but vary significantly between communities, as do existing tourism infrastructure and resources. Current local participation is low, but desire to participate is high among communities. Drivers to participate are based on a variety of economic, social and conservation factors. These findings will advise on proper implementation of sea turtle ecotourism in the region in order to maximize community involvement, and will provide a baseline from which to measure future successes and failures of sea turtle ecotourism.
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    Local Community Values and Perceptions of Natural Resource Management in Northeast Gabon
    (2017-04-28) Hamilton, Nina
    Conservation and development activities could positively or negatively affect communities dependent upon natural resources to sustain their livelihoods. Yet, community values and priorities are often not considered in landscape-level management decisions. This study pilots the use of value mapping as a means of documenting the importance of forest resources for rural communities living in multi-use forests in northeastern Gabon. Community mapping with a resource prioritization activity, in which participants distribute tokens across the map to score resources by their importance to local livelihoods, was conducted in 10 villages to assess local values and perceived threats to natural resources, and identify potential solutions to address local concerns. Perceptions of forest access and community forests as a community-based environmental management approach were also investigated through surveys and key informant interviews. Findings suggest that crops are the most highly valued resource and communities value a wide range of forest resources. There are significant differences in how men and women value natural resources, closely linked to the traditional roles that each gender plays in natural resource use. Community members identified forests elephants and logging operations as the greatest threats to resources, but put the onus of designing and implementing solutions on the State. Despite an overall positive perception of forest access, satisfaction with forest access increased with distance to the national park. There was widespread awareness among village chiefs about the benefits of community forests for forest protection and community development. However, there remain significant barriers to the establishment of community forests, including the lack of village scale community organizing and technical assistance. To integrate local communities into the decision-making process regarding access rights to natural resources, I recommend prioritizing: (1) mitigation of crop raiding with transition to intensified agriculture, (2) work with forestry operators and NGOs to improve local perceptions of industrial logging operations and promote community forestry, and (3) implement a decentralized approach for communities to access information on and participate in regional land-use decisions. These steps would likely mitigate tension that could derail national conservation and development goals, while promoting strategies that are compatible with both local and national interests.