Junior’s research is examined on how equitable governance has been done as a conservation trade off in the management of Lake Mburo National Park (LMNP) (South-Isingiro) and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (BINP)(southern sector Kisoro) through the lenses of recognitive, procedural, and distributive equity. Although protected areas are essential for conserving biodiversity and ecosystem services, conservation efforts often negatively impact local communities, particularly indigenous populations.
Integrating effective governance practices is recognized as a potential approach to enhance livelihoods alongside conservation policies. Both global and national conservation policies increasingly prioritize governance and equity issues, as highlighted by various international conferences and targets. Equitable governance is crucial for protected area management, contributing to improved conservation outcomes.
Key aspects of focus by this study such as recognizing conservation stakeholders, decision-making procedures, and equitable distribution of costs and benefits are vital for sustainable conservation and effective management.. Adopting a comparative research design, the study employs mixed-methods including multi-stakeholder assessment workshops, key Informant Interviews, GIS mapping and direct observation for data collection.
The research is expected to enhance management systems for resource allocation and utilization, aiding in the development of effective Park and governmental policies regarding resource management in protected areas. Additionally, it will propose corresponding trade-offs to address the conservation costs borne by surrounding local communities. Furthermore, other researchers will utilize the recommendations from this study as a basis for conducting additional research.
The study is piloting research tools to test whether they will collect all the required data for the PhD research
Objective of the study:
- To examine how recognitive equity has been a conservation trade off in the management of Lake Mburo National Park (LMNP) and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (BINP)
- To examine how procedural equity has been a conservation trade off in the management of Lake Mburo National Park (LMNP) and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (BINP)
- To assess how distributive equity has been a conservation trade off in the in the management of Lake Mburo National Park (LMNP) and Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (BINP)
