Striking a Balance: Socioeconomic Development and Conservation in Grassland through Community-Based Zoning

The goal of preserving nature is often in conflict with economic development and the aspirations of the rural poor. Nowhere is this more striking than in native grasslands, which have been extensively converted until a mere fraction of their original extent remains. This is not surprising; grasslands flourish in places coveted by humans, primed for agriculture, plantations, and settlements that nearly always trump conservation efforts. The Umgano grassland conservation and poverty reduction project in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa uses community-based spatial planning to balance the conversion of its lower-conservation value grasslands to a timber plantation, while conserving higher-value grasslands for heritage purposes and managed livestock grazing. Ten years after project launch, we measured the ecological and socioeconomic impacts of the project using Normalized Differential Vegetation Index remote sensing data and over 500 household interviews, as compared with similar non-conserved areas. Zoned management of the Umgano area had resulted in between 9% and 17% greater average peak production in the grassland areas compared to control sites. There was also a 21% gain in incomes for the roughly one hundred people employed by the forestry efforts, when compared to others in their village. Community-based spatial zoning is an overlooked tool for balancing conservation and development but may require, as we found in Umgano, certain critical factors including strong local leadership, an accountable financial management mechanism to distribute income, outside technical expertise for the zoning design, and community support

Lowland area, time-integrated NDVI per year.

<p>Shows the sum of the annual NDVI for each growing season from 2000 to 2010 which is a proxy for the total biomass produced in a site. “Lowland controls” shows the average of the control sites.</p

Cattle holder characteristics inside and outside the MTC.

<p>Cattle holder characteristics inside and outside the MTC.</p

Location of villages included in the rural household survey and ecological sampling sites.

<p>Location of villages included in the rural household survey and ecological sampling sites.</p

Lowland area, 10-year average seasonal NDVI.

<p>Shows the 10-year average NDVI by the day of the year, with higher NDVI equaling greater grass biomass, and earlier greening and later senesce showing a longer growing season. “Lowland controls” shows the average of the control sites.</p