IMPACT OF CONSERVATION EDUCATION ON BIODIVERSITY OF PROTECTED AREAS IN TANZANIA: THE ROLE OF URBAN AND RURAL PEOPLE.

Abstract

The study emphasizes the importance of local communities' understanding of nature's value and ecosystem services to ensure sustainable conservation efforts for present and future generations. An educational program targeting young individuals was conducted among secondary school students in Ngorongoro District, Tanzania, resulting in enhanced knowledge, attitudes, and views towards ecosystem services and biodiversity. This underscores the potential of education as a significant tool in conservation biology, suggesting its integration into school curricula for fostering sustainable nature conservation. Additionally, the research explores awareness and knowledge levels related to biodiversity conservation among urban residents in Dodoma and Arusha cities, Tanzania. While urban populations generally displayed positive attitudes towards conservation in protected areas, variations were observed based on occupations and education levels. Surprisingly, people in Dodoma exhibited more positive responses compared to those in Arusha, possibly influenced by factors such as exposure to conservation initiatives and government influence.

The research also investigates the knowledge and attitudes of rural communities residing near protected areas, specifically Rungwa Game Reserve (RGR) and Serengeti National Park (SNP). The findings indicate a positive relationship between people’s proximity to these protected areas and conservation knowledge and attitudes. While respondents near SNP demonstrated stronger positive conservation attitudes, those near RGR displayed comparable conservation knowledge. The study suggests the need for further research to understand the reasons behind this discrepancy. Furthermore, the research investigates a comparison between personal information of urban and rural populations living near protected areas, assessing factors affecting resource access, dependency, and benefits. Both rural and urban residents benefit from protected areas (PAs), though resource extraction varies significantly by location. Rungwa villagers exhibit the highest extraction levels, followed by Dodoma Citizens, Serengeti villagers, and Arusha Citizens. Key factors influencing these variations include proximity to PAs, local economic activities, law enforcement effectiveness, and resource availability. Moreover, rural inhabitants near RGR, experiencing challenges such as livestock depredation and conflicts with park staff, exhibited more negative responses. The study calls for interventions to enhance rural communities’ positivity towards conservation and suggests researching successful rural conservation practices that integrate multiple incentives. Therefore, the research emphasizes the significance of education, local knowledge, urban residents' involvement in conservation, and positive attitudes in fostering sustainable conservation efforts, while also highlighting the need for comprehensive interventions to address challenges faced by communities living near protected areas.