‘Development’ at the crossroads: biodiversity and land-use tensions on South Africa’s Wild Coast |
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Authors: | Danielle Tessaro |
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Institution: | Department of Geography, University of Toronto, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M1C 1A4 |
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Abstract: | In South Africa, extreme rural poverty often geographically overlaps with areas of high and important biodiversity. Attempts to bring about land-based poverty reduction projects in such areas tends to trigger tensions among stakeholders purporting to be concerned about local people’s welfare, as well as the environment. Using discursive document analysis and semi-structured interviews, the paper discusses a case study of the Wild Coast, an area celebrated for its high biodiversity and ‘beauty’, which reveals that a tension among environmental non-government organisations, government agencies and the private sector, on the best development option, exacerbates the threats to local livelihood options and biodiversity conservation. |
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Keywords: | South Africa Wild Coast land use biodiversity conservation land-based development |
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