The Politics of Wellbeing, Conservation and Development in Chiawa, Zambia. Wellbeing and Poverty Pathways Briefing No. 2
Abstract
This Briefing Paper addresses the challenge of reconciling competing demands for national economic growth, wildlife conservation and the wellbeing of local communities in Chiawa, Zambia.
In this Game Management Area this challenge is particularly acute, as a new highway and bridge promise to reverse the area’s historical marginality, promoting it as a premier site for safari tourism and agri-business. High profile conflicts over land rights, however, indicate local people’s fears that this will accelerate dispossession, with profits accruing to outsiders and the community seeing little if any benefit.
New research on wellbeing and poverty in Chiawa provides a novel perspective on these issues. Quantitative and qualitative evidence present local people’s struggles to piece livelihoods together amidst a pervasive experience of insecurity and powerlessness. However, the community understanding of wellbeing and its strong ethic of care and reciprocity constitutes an important resource for building a positive and inclusive future.
The Briefing Paper includes easily accessible Key Findings and Recommendations aimed at local and international policy-makers.
Citation
White, S.; Jha, S. The Politics of Wellbeing, Conservation and Development in Chiawa, Zambia. Wellbeing and Poverty Pathways Briefing No. 2. University of Bath, Bath, UK (2013) 12 pp.
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