Is community conservation truly beneficial to the communities involved? With a case study of the Kajiado District, Kenya

Abstract

This study examines the effectiveness of the much-debated
community-based conservation schemes in regards the communities that
actually implement them. The merits of the theory of community conservation
are assessed followed by an in depth look into whether theses merits
materialise into benefits for the communities themselves, financial or
otherwise. A case study of the Kajiado District, Kenya is used to gain insight
into how the local people perceive conservation and whether they see any of
the promised benefits from the community initiatives currently in place.
A questionnaire provides the basis for the information gathered from the local
Maasai people, probing issues including how the people feel about the
existing and proposed wildlife sanctuaries in the area, whether the people are
consulted about the many conservation projects taking place in their
traditional lands and whether they see the economic benefits of these projects
in their daily lives.
The author comes to some disturbing conclusions about the state of the
management of the funds raised through the so-called community
conservation projects, finding corruption among the ranks and upset among
the people over land rights.
The study pours light onto the fact that the communities supposed to benefit
from the decentralization of conservation, often find they receive a raw deal.