Exploring the implications of institutional fragmentation and the role of community participation in sustainable natural resource management in Zambia: a case study of Lochinvar National Park

Abstract

Zambia as a country has a considerable amount of land dedicated to the protected area network. It has been argued that this quantity of land resource under protection has not resulted in the desired quality of progressive natural resource management that yields benefits for people and nature. The legislative framework allows for interface of varied stakeholders to take part in the management of natural resources but this is yet to be achieved in a manner that benefits both resource managers and stakeholders. The majority of game management areas which are the mandated interface between ecological needs and social needs are often over exploited or without management plans that are adhered to, rendering them gateways to encroachment of national parks. The main aim of this study was to investigate the extent of institutional fragmentation in natural resource management and the role of community participation. The main methods utilized to investigate this were qualitative with use of mainly semi-structured interviews. The research findings indicate that although there are opportunities to sustainably manage the resources in and around Lochinvar National Park with community participation, this remains limited due to a number of reasons like: institutional fragmentation, cultural practices, lack of community benefits and a poor understanding of enabling participatory legislation. Community Based Natural Resource Management is a term that is not foreign to Zambian resource management as it has been a part of conservation circles for at least 4 decades. The successes of it however, seem few and far between. This study shed light on some of the factors that might be contributing to the limited success of CBNRM in Zambia. Recommendations of this research include: focus on governance rather than government pushing the NRM agenda, private sector involvement in management of natural resources, broadened community structures involved in management of natural resources management.

Key words: natural resources management, community based natural resources management, governance, common pool resources, Zambia, Kafue Flats, legislative framework.