The Quality of Life and Perceived Human-Wildlife Conflicts among Forest Communities around the Mountain Gorilla’s Virunga Landscape in Africa

Edwin Sabuhoro (), Jim Ayorekire and Ian E. Munanura ()
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Edwin Sabuhoro: Department of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management and African Studies Program, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA 16802, USA
Jim Ayorekire: Department of Forestry, Biodiversity and Tourism, School of Forestry, Environmental and Geographical Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala P.O. Box 7062, Uganda
Ian E. Munanura: Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, College of Forestry, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 3, 1-19

Abstract: This article examines the relationships between human perceptions of conflict with wildlife and satisfaction with the quality of life in the Virunga landscape in Africa where mountain gorillas live. In addition, it explores how determinants of quality of life may indirectly influence the perceptions of conflict between people and wildlife. Using the bottom-up spillover theory of life satisfaction, it is hypothesized that quality of life is determined by access to critical livelihood resources, such as food, healthcare, and income. Furthermore, socio-psychological conditions, such as emotional and psychological strength, may mediate the relationship between access to resources and quality of life. This study revealed that life satisfaction positively predicts perceptions of conflict between humans and wildlife. The findings also indicated that health and psychological conditions were the strongest predictors of life satisfaction compared to food and financial security. However, the findings revealed variations by country. For example, food security predicts life satisfaction in Rwanda but not in Uganda. Health security predicts emotional wellbeing in Rwanda but not in Uganda. These results indicate that the nature of the relationship between wellbeing indicators and perceived Human-Wildlife conflict is likely country-specific. Therefore, efforts to strengthen the quality of life to indirectly advance wildlife conservation goals may need to be different in Uganda and Rwanda. The findings also suggest that investing in improving the quality of life of forest communities may incentivize increased perceptions of Human-Wildlife conflict. This is likely a result of pervasive consequences of increased funding for community development programs to incentivize conservation, which risks associating conflict with funding. Additional implications for practice and research are discussed in the paper.

Keywords: Africa; quality of life; forest communities; mountain gorillas; Virunga; human-wildlife conflicts (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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