Impacts Of Socio-Economic Activities In Managing Selous-Niassa Wildlife Corridor

ABSTRACT

Eastern and Southern African countries’ authorities managing protected areas have made an effort to establish wildlife corridors as a respond towards ecological and socioeconomic benefits of connected ecosystems. However these corridors face with various socio-economic activities which degrade and fragment their habitats resulting to malfunction of corridors’ management. The study aimed at examining socio-economic activities impacting management of Selous-Niassa wildlife corridor. Data were collected using questionnaire survey, key informants interviews, focus group discussions, direct observation and secondary materials. Collected data were contently and statistically analysed. Field results indicated that 86.7% of respondents claimed that land allocated for settlement, agriculture and livestock keeping is not enough. Poached ‘elephants’ carcasses from 2010 to 2012 showed increasing poaching by 33.3% per year. Charcoal production, honey gathering, clearance for cultivation and local beliefs resulted to increase wildfires by at least 12% per year from 2010-2015. However, PAs within SNWC have insufficient involvement of local communities (81.7%). Consequently, human population increased by 75% from 1988 to 2012 resulting to acceleration of corridor degradation and fragmentation. Multivariate linear regression analysis reveals that, respondents sex, years lived in a village, and size of land owned are socio-economic factors which are statistically significant and positively influencing encroachment of SNWC at (b=0.153, p