| RESEARCH ARTICLE |
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| Year : 2023 | Volume
: 21
| Issue : 1 | Page : 38-47 |
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Compatible with Conviviality? Exploring African Ecotourism and Sport Hunting for Transformative Conservation
Amos Ochieng1, Niak Sian Koh2, Stasja Koot3
1 Department of Forestry, Biodiversity and Tourism, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
2 Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
3 Sociology of Development and Change, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands; and Department of Geography, Environmental Management and Energy Studies, University of Johannesburg, Auckland Park, South Africa
Correspondence Address:
Niak Sian Koh
Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, Stockholm
Sweden
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/cs.cs_42_21
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Recent decades have shown the increased popularity of market-based instruments (MBIs) for conservation despite mixed social and ecological outcomes. This paper explores the extent to which two crucial MBIs, namely, ecotourism and sport hunting, are compatible with 'convivial conservation', a novel, integrated approach that explores conservation beyond capitalism. We developed an analytical framework of five key features for transformative change that can potentially contribute to conviviality: access and property rights, benefit-sharing, value operationalisation, institutional arrangements, and decision-making processes. We analysed the use of ecotourism and sport hunting in southern and eastern Africa in relation to the five features. Based on 'radical incremental transformation', we applied these features to analyse if, and if so how, incremental changes to these MBIs can be supportive in transitioning conservation towards (further) conviviality. With insights from our extensive research experiences in eastern and southern Africa, we highlight that the institutional design and contextual factors determining power relations are often more important than the choice of instrument in influencing its social and ecological outcomes. In conclusion, we propose a shift in the dialogue on conservation beyond its infatuation with commodification by integrating convivial elements into the design of conservation policies.
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