Greener Journal of  Environment Management and Public Safety Vol. 2 (3), pp. 108-114,May 2013.  

ISSN: 2354-2276 

Research Paper

Manuscript Number: 041713580

 

Effectiveness of Environmental Policy Instruments and Management Principles in Wildlife Resource Management: The Case of Mabalauta, Gonarezhou National Park, Zimbabwe

 

Chapungu L.

 

Department of Physics, Geography and Environmental Science P.O Box 1235, Masvingo.

 

Email: Ichapungu @ gmail. com

Abstract:

This study assessed the effectiveness of environmental policy instruments and management principles at Mabalauta Gonarezhou National Park in regulating the use and management of wildlife resources. The Story Telling Approach (STA) was used to determine the environmental policy history and implementation strategies. Focus group discussions, group lecture, observations, key informant interviews and a questionnaire survey were used to determine the policy instruments and management principles in use. Effectiveness was assessed through the evaluation of implementation methodologies and discernible outcomes of implemented policy instruments and management principles. The study established that non economic, economic and property rights policy instruments have collaboratively contributed to the effective regulation of use and management of wildlife resources. The user-pays principle is the most widely used principle, which has managed to contribute to resource sustainability. However, effectiveness of instruments and management principles was discovered to be mostly dependent on resource availability. Lack of financial resources has weakened implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policy instruments and management principles. 

Key words: Environmental Policy, Economic instruments, non-economic instruments, use rights, wildlife resources.

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