The Influence of Socio-Economic Variables on Perception of Protected Area Governance and Outcomes: Insights from Local Communities and Experts in Kafta-Sheraro National Park, Tigray, Northern Ethiopia

Abstract

Studies on the local community’s perceptions of conservation governance and outcomes have not sufficiently used inferential models to demonstrate the influence of socioeconomic variables on participants’ responses. The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of socioeconomic factors on participant’s perceptions of conservation governance and outcomes of Kafta-Sheraro National Park. A survey was conducted in 2020 to collect data from 384 heads of families. The study employed ordinal logistic regression and multinomial logistic regression. Although most responses were in a higher response category, the findings reveal significant influence of factors such as education level, number of livestock in tropical livestock unit and conflict with conservation rules are the factors that negatively affect individual’s perceptions of many of governance principles and outcome while affiliation to Kunama ethnicity and farm land are factors that positively influence perceptions. The findings indicate that all higher or lower outcome responses do not mean the governance process is good or bad, as some responses are linked with personal feelings and exposure to governance processes and conservation outcomes. Governance principles or governance aspects have a simultaneous and complementary nature; any negligence or mistake by key players, primarily legislative, interpretive, and executive, in carrying out their roles in the governance process paves the way for the protected areas failure to achieve social and environmental objectives. The study recommended integrated efforts across all government levels to ensure effective conservation, emphasizing the need for rule of law, adequate resources, community outreach, and sustainable livelihood activities and further research.