Community livelihoods and perceptions of the Sikunga Fish Protected Area in the Zambezi Region, Namibia

The Sikunga Fish Protected Area (Sikunga FPA) was established as a management tool to manage and conserve the aquatic biodiversity of the Zambezi River of Namibia. Monitoring and evaluation are a necessary part of adaptive management to determine whether such protected areas are effectively meeting their objectives. Thus, this study aimed to assess communities’ knowledge about the role and impacts of the Sikunga FPA on their livelihood assets. Furthermore, the study provides some insights into communities’ attitudes towards its management, as well as views on the best way to manage the reserve. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among the riparian community members residing in households within a 15 km radius of the Sikunga FPA in the Zambezi Region. A total of 200 respondents out of a population of 2000 were subjected to semi-structured questionnaires. Descriptive and Inferential statistics were used to assess communities’ perceptions and attitudes towards the Sikunga FPA. The results showed that 80% of the respondents knew about the Sikunga FPA but perceived it to negatively impact their livelihoods, probably due to low community participation in the establishment of the reserve (33%) and management meetings (47%) where decisions concerning the reserve were made. Hence, they felt excluded from an initiative that would significantly impact their well-being and likely to inflict conflicts that would erode the success of the reserve.  As a result, most respondents (80.7%) prefer that local community members should take the lead and initiate future management plans tailored to govern the Sikunga FPA.  Finally, Sikunga FPA authorities should consider affected communities as key conservation allies in the future development and management of the Sikunga FPA. This may be achieved through an interdisciplinary approach to empower local communities and ensure the successful implementation of the Sikunga FPA.