Rural Communities

The African Rhino Conservation Centre (ARCC) will support the socio economic development of rural communities with the intention of enhancing community support for, and participation in the benefits of, ecosystem and wildlife conservation.

Participation by the rural communities of Africa in wildlife conservation efforts is critical for the future of African wildlife, including the rhino. In many remote areas of Africa rural people live subsistence lives in close proximity to wildlife, sharing their land and living space with animals that frequently conflict with their agricultural and pastoral enterprises, not to mention threaten their lives. Developing systems whereby rural communities are protected and benefit directly from the conservation of wild places and wildlife has become a cornerstone of conservation strategy.

In South Africa, and in particular in locations like much of the Eastern Cape, the rural areas, in which private and State game reserves have been established, are home to communities that are frequently semi-urban and excluded from interaction with wildlife by animal-proof fencing. Nevertheless, their support for and participation in wildlife conservation, and the tourism industry that is integral to conservation, is equally vital to the long term survival of these reserves and the ecosystems they protect.

As a pilot project, the ARCC has launched an investigation into the nature and size of rural communities related to local wildlife areas, whether directly as game reserve employees and their families; indirectly in providing services to the reserves or simply living in close proximity. There is complexity in defining what constitutes a community in these more developed rural areas within which the Eastern Cape wildlife reserves have been established, and also in establishing appropriate vehicles through which they are able to participate, directly benefit and, thus, actively support wildlife conservation.