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Paper short abstract:

The CAMPFIRE programme runs in Zimbabwe since 1989 entailing the commodification of natural resources, especially wildlife through trophy hunting, to promote rural development, community empowerment and conservation. The paper found the CAMPFIRE failing its goals and provides recommendations

Paper long abstract:

In the last centuries, humans have progressively distanced themselves from nature but their reliance on natural goods and services has increased to promote economic growth. As consequence, the biodiversity has declined drastically over the last fifty years (MEA, 2005). A recurrent debate is which approach towards conservation is more effective with alternative and nuanced ways proposed over the more common fortress or community-based conservation paradigms.

In Zimbabwe, the colonisation period has seen an increasing environmental degradation due to indiscriminate extraction of natural resources. Protected areas and national parks have then been created with the concurrent resettlement of indigenous people into communal areas. The Communal Area Management Programme for Indigenous Resources (CAMPFIRE) was launched in the country in 1989 (Martin, 1986) entailing the commodification of natural resources, especially wildlife through trophy hunting, in order to promote rural development, community empowerment and sustainable use of natural resources.

The paper investigates the CAMPFIRE projects in the South East Lowveld of Zimbabwe (Chipinge and Chiredzi districts) triangulating and enriching the data available in literature with 9 semi-structured interviews conducted in July 2019. The analysis found the CAMPFIRE failing to contribute to rural development, discrepancies in the revenues and a sharp decline of CAMPFIRE revenues. Wildlife populations outside the park is almost non-existent while human-wildlife conflict is perceived increasing.

The findings suggest that, for the programme to achieve its goals, it is necessary to devolve appropriate authority to community members, promote good natural resource management governance and increase participation and empowerment of local people.