Conservation and Community in Kenya: Milking the Elephant

Community-based wildlife conservation (CBC) is a complex social institution with differential impacts for members, with limited economic benefits and potential to heighten tensions over land use and human-wildlife conflict.

Format: Hardback
Length: 238 pages
Publication date: 15 June 2022
Publisher: Lexington Books

Community-based wildlife conservation is hailed as a mutually beneficial approach that safeguards biodiversity while enhancing the economic well-being of communities residing in wildlife habitats. This comprehensive book, drawing upon extensive mixed-method anthropological research conducted in Samburu County, Kenya, unveils the intricate nature of community-based wildlife conservancies (CBCs). Contrary to simplistic narratives that promise substantial benefits, CBCs emerge as complex social institutions intricately intertwined with pre-existing land use practices, resulting in diverse impacts on their members. Through ethnographic and mixed methods, Carolyn K. Lesorogol delves into the understanding and operationalization of CBCs by diverse social actors, exploring the distribution of benefits and costs, the gendered dynamics of CBCs, and their profound effects on cooperation and conflict within communities.

Lesorogol's analysis reveals that while economic benefits to CBC members are generally modest, some perceive improvements in security stemming from these conservancies. However, there is also evidence to suggest that CBCs exacerbate tensions over land use and heighten conflicts between humans and wildlife. This book provides invaluable insights into the implications of the CBC model for local pastoralist livelihoods, conservation efforts, and social dynamics. By shedding light on the complexities and nuances of CBCs, it contributes to a more nuanced understanding of the challenges and opportunities associated with community-led wildlife management in diverse contexts.

Weight: 531g
Dimension: 226 x 160 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781793650290