Abstract
M.A. (Geography)
In the last century, the establishment of protected areas has become an important part of
managing South Africa’s wilderness and wildlife. The notion of untouched protected areas is
becoming contested in a time when developing nations are seeking to improve quality of life
for their citizens. With the promulgation of the NEM: PAA of 2003, resource sharing with
local rural communities has become an important policy guideline for protected area
management authorities. An example of a protected area where management has sought to
facilitate resource access in neighbouring rural communities is Mkuze Game Reserve (MGR),
now part of the greater Isimangaliso Wetland Park.
This study uses a mixed methods approach to combine local rainfall records, census archives,
and remotely sensed data with qualitative interview data in order to investigate spatial, social
and quantitative aspects of anthropogenic land-cover change between 1979 and 2008. If the
proposed balance between development and conservation is to be achieved in this
ecologically diverse locale, a deeper understanding of contextual relationships between
human activity and environmental change will be vital.
Results showed that while rainfall was cyclic, natural land-cover decreased consistently in
densely populated rural areas. In contrast, protected areas such as MGR showed little change
in land-cover indicating that human activity and cattle have a significant impact on the land
surface in the Mkuze Region. While many local residents in the rural communities living
adjacent to MGR recognise their role in the achievement of development-conservation
objectives, a history of exclusion from MGR has left a legacy of negative perceptions
towards MGR in these communities. In order to mitigate natural land-cover loss, local
communities must have positive perceptions about MGR and become involved in its
management. Useful inferences have been made from the results regarding the management
of human population and activities around the borders of protected areas in South Africa.