Research Mobility: Network Scholar Publishes on Environmental Injustice and Community-Based Wildlife Tourism in South Africa
A view of Wild Olive Tree Camp, a Community Based Wildlife Tourism enterprise in South Africa where participants contributed to Lizzy van Megen and Brandon Anthony's study. Photo courtesy of Lizzy van Megen.
Examining the legacy of environmental injustices in South Africa, the study explores the role of community-based wildlife tourism (CBWT) in promoting equitable land management. It sought to find out if community-based initiatives, specifically related to wildlife tourism, can provide lasting structural benefits to local communities. Utilizing the environmental justice (EJ) framework, the scholars conducted a qualitative case study involving interviews with twenty-three participants connected to the Wild Olive Tree Camp, a CBWT enterprise in the Kruger to Canyons Biosphere Region of South Africa.
The scholars analyzed what they call the “neoliberal approach to environmental resources for tourism” and demonstrated that while CBWT might benefit local communities in the short term, it risks perpetuating neocolonial structures and dependencies in the long term. The study underscores the need to acknowledge historical trauma stemming from segregation and apartheid and advocates for the restructuring of power imbalances in tourism management while promoting equitable access to knowledge and land rights. This study contributes to the EJ scholarship by contextualizing these issues within the historical reality of the region.
The article explains that much of the wildlife conservation and related tourism enterprises in sub-Saharan Africa aim to be community-based, supporting local land ownership, equal environmental and socioeconomic benefits, and equal participation in decision-making bodies. However, critics argue that these initiatives thrive on a market-based approach in which local ways of life cannot be upheld, as conservation efforts may lead to further land loss for local communities. Furthermore, studies argue that much of the income derived from community-based tourism does not follow economic empowerment goals and instead sustains existing social and economic inequalities.
The studies conclude that the neoliberal approach to territories, now dedicated to conservation and tourism, suggest that conservation areas are not solely aimed at protecting nature but also commodify wildlife and expand economic growth within the tourism industry.
“The opportunity to go to Wits Rural in South Africa and collaborate with local people, organizations and cooperatives and to hear their valuable insights was a once in a lifetime experience,” says van Megen. “Global knowledge exchange is very valuable and the OSUN mobility research funding program is playing a crucial role in facilitating this."
Lizzy van Megen now serves as an environmental sociologist at the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) in The Netherlands where she researches the values of nature, possible just nature policies, and the legitimacy of current nature and nitrogen policies.
Post Date: 01-30-2025