The Management of Protected Areas in Serengeti Ecosystem: A Case Study of Ikorongo and Grumeti Game Reserves (IGGRs)

Abstract

The study assessed the management of protected areas in Serengeti ecosystem using the case of IGGRs. Specifically, the study aimed at identifying the strategies used for natural resources management; examining the impacts of those strategies; examining the hindrances of the identified strategies; and lastly, examining the methods for scaling up the performance of strategies used for natural resources in the study area. The study involved two villages among 31 villages bordering IGGRs where in each village; at least 5% of the households were sampled. Both Primary data and secondary data were collected and analyzed both manually and computer by using SPSS software. The study revealed that, study population ranked IGGRs performance on protection of natural resources, especially on conserving wildlife for future generation and in reducing poaching to be good(53.3%). In addition, the relationship with IGGRs was said to be considerable good (46.7%). In the aspect of reducing poaching, the findings show that poaching has been reduced by 96.2% from 2009 to 2012. Furthermore, 81.4% of respondents said they use different strategies to control loss of natural resources which in turn has considerably improved the relationship between protected areas and the surrounding communities in some of the aspects. Despite of above successes, the study findings has revealed a number of challenges that hinders the full attainment of conservation objectives. Among the challenges are loss of life and properties (86.4%), shortage of water for livestock (68.9%) since water sources such as Grumeti and Rubana rivers are within protected area while the adjacent local communities do not have a free access to those water sources. Other challenges especially on the IGGRs management include insufficient fund base, working facilities and inadequate staffs. Based on the above findings, the study concluded that the strategies used for natural resources management of protected areas in Serengeti ecosystem is fairly sustainable and need functional participatory approaches of local people and other stakeholders in order to bring about a collaborative natural resources management network in the ecosystem. Furthermore, based on the findings above, equity in benefit sharing accrued from natural resource management in protected areas, more financial support to IGGRs and local community, the use of non-lethal deterrents for crop protection, integration of crop livestock production systems, adoption of land use plans as a solution to land conflicts, strengthens of community based conservation (CBC), adoption of modern information technology such as geographical information system (GIS) and remote sensing are recommended.