Browsing by Author "Wels, Harry"

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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."