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Community-Centered Sustainable Ecotourism Planning in the Bossou Forest Reserve, Guinea, West Africa

Author

Listed:
  • Destina Samani

    (West Africa Regional Advisor, United States Forest Service, Accra P.O. Box 16349, Ghana)

  • Keith Bosak

    (Department of Society & Conservation, W.A. Franke College of Forestry & Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA)

  • Sarah J. Halvorson

    (Department of Society & Conservation, W.A. Franke College of Forestry & Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA)

Abstract

Forest reserves are spaces of conservation and are often spaces of ecotourism as well. Evidence suggests that local community participation in the conservation of the forest reserve space tends to break down under weak ecotourism sector management. The Bossou Forest Reserve (BFR) in Guinea, West Africa has deteriorated considerably due to the fragmentation of the reserve and the inexorable decline in Bossou chimpanzee populations since the 1970s. The situation is largely attributable to several complex and interrelated factors, including the lack of established processes to support meaningful community participation in conservation and ecotourism planning. Ecotourism planning, with the participation of local communities, is considered to strengthen the management of the BFR and conservation connectivity. This paper reports on an approach to sustainable ecotourism planning of the BFR using the Limits of Acceptable Change (LAC) framework to determine the drivers of change and livelihood concerns. Fieldwork undertook in 2019 entailed concept mapping activities which were followed by a participatory geographic information system (PGIS) approach to support community-scale ecotourism planning that considers the multiple needs of stakeholders. Data analysis resulted in a community-centered situational assessment and classification of opportunities, both of which inform ecotourism planning and social-ecological resilience. The study provides baseline data for developing a robust ecotourism management plan capable of coping with the changing internal and external stressors. PGIS-based ecotourism planning can support community priorities and is potentially applicable to other West African areas with similar ecological and livelihood settings.

Suggested Citation

  • Destina Samani & Keith Bosak & Sarah J. Halvorson, 2023. "Community-Centered Sustainable Ecotourism Planning in the Bossou Forest Reserve, Guinea, West Africa," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-24, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:5:p:4615-:d:1087971
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Aditi Acharya & Biraj Kanti Mondal & Tuhin Bhadra & Kamal Abdelrahman & Prabuddh Kumar Mishra & Anuj Tiwari & Rima Das, 2022. "Geospatial Analysis of Geo-Ecotourism Site Suitability Using AHP and GIS for Sustainable and Resilient Tourism Planning in West Bengal, India," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-25, February.
    2. Gamini Herath, 2002. "Research Methodologies for Planning Ecotourism and Nature Conservation," Tourism Economics, , vol. 8(1), pages 77-101, March.
    3. Kvetoslava Matlovičová & Jana Kolesárová & Michaela Demková & Katarína Kostilníková & Peter Mocák & Piotr Pachura & Mark Payne, 2022. "Stimulating Poverty Alleviation by Developing Tourism in Marginalised Roma Communities: A Case Study of the Central Spiš Region (Slovakia)," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-23, September.
    4. Deirdre Dragovich & Sunil Bajpai, 2022. "Managing Tourism and Environment—Trail Erosion, Thresholds of Potential Concern and Limits of Acceptable Change," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-16, April.
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    Cited by:

    1. Dorothy Ruth Queiros, 2023. "Planning for Socio-Ecological Conservation in South African Nature Reserves: Model of Influences on the Attitudes of Proximate Communities," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-22, September.

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