Browsing by Author "Spierenburg, Marja"

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Enclosing the Local for the Global Commons: Community Land Rights in the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area
(2008) Spierenburg, Marja; Steenkamp, Conrad; Wels, Harry
"The Great Limpopo is one of the largest Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCAs) in the world, encompassing vast areas in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. By arguing that residents living in or close to the TFCA will participate in its management and benefit economically, TFCA proponents claim social legitimacy for the project. The establishment of the Great Limpopo required negotiations among the three nation states, different government departments within these states and various donors contributing funds. This article explores how these negotiations and interactions affected the institutional choices made with regards to the management of the Great Limpopo and how these shaped the control and benefits of local residents. This article examines the differences among the different actors in terms of power and capacities, which are often ignored in the promotion of TFCAs. By comparing the experiences of local residents in the South African part of the TFCA with those in Mozambique, the cases show how international negotiations interact with national policies of decentralisation to shape and sometimes even disable local government institutions."
Enclosing the Local for the Global Commons: Community Land Rights in the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area
(2007) Spierenburg, Marja; Steenkamp, Conrad; Wels, Harry
"The Great Limpopo is one of the largest TransFrontier Conservation Areas (TFCAs) in the world, encompassing vast areas in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique. By arguing that residents living in or close to the TFCA will participate in its management and benefit economically, TFCA proponents claim social legitimacy for the project. The establishment of the Great Limpopo required negotiations among the three nation states, different government departments within these states, and various donors contributing funds. This paper explores how these negotiations and interactions affected the institutional choices made with regards to the management of the Great Limpopo and how these shaped the control and benefits of local residents. This paper examines the differences among the different actors in terms of power and capacities, which are often ignored in the promotion of TFCAs. By comparing the experiences of local residents in the South African part of the TFCA with those in Mozambique the cases show how international negotiations interact with national policies of decentralization to shape and sometimes even disable local government institutions."
The Quest for the Global Commons; Public-Private Partnerships and Community Land Rights in the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area
(2006) Spierenburg, Marja; Wels, Harry
"The Great Limpopo is one of the largest TransFrontier Conservation Areas (TFCAs) in the world, encompassing vast areas in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique. By arguing that local communities living in or close to the TFCA will participate in its management and benefit economically, TFCA proponents claim social legitimacy for the project. Analysis shows, however, that the original concept of the TFCA as a multiple- use zone is being abandoned, resulting in a marginalization of local communities. While the land claim process in South Africa has led to the restitution of some communities' land rights within the TFCA, these communities struggle for representation in the management structure of the TFCA. In Mozambique some communities have seen their rights to land in the TFCA practically revoked. Communities attempt to resist marginalization by forming alliances with (inter)national development and human rights NGOs, and the private sector. This paper describes the mixed results of these alliances, including changes in local-level government institutions and coalitions, and the ensuing inter-community conflicts."
Re-Emergence of Traditional Authorities in the Struggle for Control Over Land in Dande, Northern Zimbabwe
(2002) Spierenburg, Marja
"The swings between a recourse to traditional authorities and attempts to establish a modern local government structure, which have taken place since the Rhodesian period, resulted in complications and confusion about who is responsible for the allocation of land and other resources. A simple return of authority over land to traditional leaders is no longer an option. Some groups may not feel they are represented by these local government structures. Over time they have built their own 'constituencies'. I agree with Alexander (1995) that most problems with local government structures stem from a lack of true decentralisation. If cries for a return to 'tradition' are heard, these can be interpreted as serious demands for local control over land and other natural resources. The new proposals for Village and Ward Assemblies propose a mix of 'traditional' leadership and elected local government structures without a clear definition of the relation between the two. This is bound to create similar problems as described in this article. Furthermore, the assemblies will only be effective if substantive decision-making powers and resources are decentralised to these bodies. The RDC Capacity Building Programme seemed to be a serious step in the direction of real decentralisation. However, given recent developments in Zimbabwe the prospects of increasing local control seems rather gloomy."
Stakeholder Engagement and Biodiversity Conservation Challenges in Social-Ecological Systems: Some Insights from Biosphere Reserves in Western Africa and France
(2017) Bouamrane, Meriem; Spierenburg, Marja; Agrawal, Arun; Boureima, Amadou
"Biosphere reserves are an example of social-ecological systems that combine biodiversity conservation and socioeconomic development with knowledge generation and dissemination (both scientific and local). We review lessons learned from case studies biosphere reserves in western African and France, highlighting the importance of early stakeholder engagement to build knowledge for achieving sustainable development. We discuss the evolution of the concept of biosphere reserves and its application over time in different socioeconomic and cultural settings. The diversity of stakeholders and their different needs and perceptions about nature conservation complicate implementation processes, sometimes resulting in conflicts about the objectives and zonation of biosphere reserves. Dialogue among the different stakeholders must start at an early planning phase and be based on the principle of social and ecological solidarity. Dialogue must then be pursued, formalized, ritualized, and translated both in terms of biosphere reserve management and in terms of political support. Tools and methods exist that can facilitate such dialogue and colearning."