Parks and Communities: Assessing the Social Impacts of the Creation of Cross River National Park, Nigeria, using the Sustainable Livelihoods Approach

Abstract

Cross River National Park (CRNP) of Nigeria is a globally acclaimed biodiversity hotspot and region of species endemism.  Some of her keystone fauna species like the Cross River Gorilla (gorilla gorilla diehli) is not found anywhere else in the world. In the context of anthropogenic challenges threatening biodiversity conservation in the park, the paper adopts a livelihoods perspective (Sustainable Livelihoods Approach) in assessing the ignored social impacts of the creation of CRNP on buffer zone communities. Sustainable Livelihoods Approaches are methodologies developed by international development agencies for poverty alleviation interventions guided by frameworks that enhance the study, analysis and understanding of poverty in local communities.  A combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods were used to facilitate the study, culminating in interesting findings on the ignored social impacts of the park’s creation – which underpins the anthropogenic challenges in her buffer zone communities . Hinging on failing conservation strategies in the tropics, the paper discusses the need for conservationists and communities to find a common ground over parks – poverty debate using valuable insights from the Sustainable Livelihoods Approach, and evidence from CRNP.

Keywords: Parks, biodiversity, impacts, people, and poverty.