Journal of Policy & Governance

(ISSN: 2564-212X; CODEN: JPGOC8; DOI: 10.33002/jpg) is an international, scientific double blind peer-reviewed open access journal published 2 times a year online by The Grassroots Institute.

Open Access—free for readers, with article processing charges (APC) paid by authors or their institutions.

High Visibility: Indexed in HEIN. Indexing is proposed in the WoS, Scopus and other databases.

Time for Processing: Primary acceptance to the submitted article is given in 1 week time. After consent of author(s), manuscript is peer-reviewed, and a first decision provided to authors in 2-4 weeks after submission.

Recognition of Reviewers: The reviewers who provide timely, thorough peer-review reports receive vouchers entitling them to a discount on the APC of their next publication in the journal, in appreciation of the work done. Reviewers also receive Certificate for their voluntary service.

thumb-0301 | Journal of Policy & Governance

Journal of Policy & Governance is comprehensively covering the subjects of policy and governance in interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approach. By bridging both academic and professional domains, the journal provides professionals, practitioners, researchers, students, and policymakers, and any other persons with information on developments in the field of policy and/or governance.

VOLUME: 03(02) (DECEMBER 2023)

Download Full Volume

M – 00368Research Article

Enhancing Conservation Communication: Using Digital Literacy to Address the Misunderstanding of Southern Africa’s Sustainable Use Approach in Western Settings

Metolo Foyet1, Maxi Pia Louis2

1Department of Geography, Focus Area: Catastrophes, Conservation, and Conflict, LifeThroughWildlife Lab, University of Florida, Turlington Hall, 3141, 330 Newell Dr, Gainesville FL 32611, USA.

Email: m.foyet@ufl.edu | ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0006-8054-2281

2Namibian Association of CBNRM Support Organizations (NACSO), 19 Lossen Street, Ausspannplatz, Windhoek, Namibia.

Email: maxi@nacso.org.na | ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6923-2411

Journal of Policy & Governance, 03(02) (December 2023), 17-58. https://doi.org/10.33002/jpg030202

Received: 20 October 2023

Published: 31 December 2023

Reviewed: 11 November 2023

Accepted: 15 December 2023

No. of Abstract Views:

No. of Paper Downloads:

ABSTRACT

Effective communication and digital literacy are crucial for addressing misunderstandings about the Southern African approach to sustainable use in Western settings. This paper highlights the need to enhance conservation communication and explores the role of digital communication in bridging the gap between the Southern African approach and Western conservation paradigms. The Southern African emphasis on community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) and sustainable wildlife use for both conservation and economic purposes often faces misinterpretation and scepticism in Western societies that prioritize preservation and non-consumptive use. By analysing literature, case studies, and communication strategies, this study identifies the challenges stemming from cultural biases, differing conservation ideologies, and limited understanding of the Southern African context. It investigates the significance of digital literacy in overcoming these challenges by promoting the development of technology skills among conservation practitioners and members of communities coexisting with wildlife, equipping them with relevant digital tools, promoting information sharing, fostering cross-cultural dialogue, and engaging diverse stakeholders through digital platforms. The paper stresses the significance of utilizing diverse communication channels (including social media, online forums, websites, campaigns, multimedia tools, and educational resources) to share accurate and culturally sensitive information about the Southern African approach. It highlights the necessity for tailored communication strategies that consider the distinct needs and values of various audiences, incorporating digital approaches involving active listening, dialogue, and the integration of local knowledge. This study promotes the development of inclusive and accessible spaces through improved digital literacy and effective communication strategies. It advocates for mutual understanding and collaboration between Western and Southern African conservation practitioners, stakeholders, and decision-makers. By leveraging digital platforms and enhancing communication competencies, the Southern African approach can be better comprehended within Western settings, fostering sustainable conservation practices and nurturing collaborative partnerships in conservation initiatives.

Keywords: Conservation communication; Digital literacy; Sustainable use; Conservation

REFERENCES

Adams, W. M., & Hulme, D. (1998). Conservation and communities: Changing narratives, policies,

African Parks (2018). Retrieved from

African Parks (n.d.). Strategic Partners. Retrieved from

Agrawal, A., Smith, R. C., & Li, T. (1997, March). Community in Conservation: Beyond Enchantment

Al-Shawaf, L., Zreik, K., & Buss, D. M. (2021). Thirteen misunderstandings about natural selection.

Apple Podcast (2022). Retrieved from

Arts, K., Van der Wal, R., & Adams, W. M. (2015). Digital technology and the conservation of nature.

Aru Game Lodges (2016). We are more than just hunters. Retrieved from Aru Game Lodges:

Ashley, C., Roe, D., & Goodwin, H. (2001). Pro-Poor Tourism: Putting Poverty Alleviation at the

AWF (n.d.). Community Empowerment. Retrieved from https://www.awf.org/community (accessed 10

AWF (n.d.). Sustainable Tourism. Retrieved from

AWF (n.d.). What Are African Bush Elephants. Retrieved from

Ballard, C. (1981). The Role of Trade and Hunter-Traders in the Political Economy of Natal and

Beinart, W. (1990). Empire, hunting and ecological change in southern and central Africa. Past

Beng, K. C., & Corlett, R. T. (2020). Applications of environmental DNA (eDNA) in ecology and

Betoko, I. W., & Carvalho, S. (2020). To protect nature, bring down the walls of fortress conservation.

Bond, I., Child, B., de la Harpe, D., Jones, B., Barnes, J., & Anderson, H. (2004). Private land

Bondi, E. (2018). AI for Conservation: Aerial Monitoring to Learn and Plan against Illegal Actors. In

Borrini, G., & Jaireth, H. (2007). Sharing power: learning-by-doing in co-management of natural

Boudreaux, K. (2007). Community-based natural resource management and poverty alleviation in

Boule, K. L. (2016). Stakeholder perspectives on sport hunting, conservation, and ecosystem

Brink, H., Smith, R. J., Skinner, K., & Leader-Williams, N. (2016). Sustainability and Long Term-

Brundtland, G., Khalid, M., Agnelli, S., Al-Athel, S., Chidzero, B., Fadika, L., Mauff, V., Lang, I.,

Buscher , B., & Fletcher, R. (2020). The Conservation Revolution: Radical Ideas for Saving Nature

Castillo-Huitrón, N., Naranjo, E., Santos-Fita, D., & Estrada-Lugo, E. (2020). The importance of

CCF (n.d.). Why are we #UnitingForCheetahs? Retrieved from https://cheetah.org/uk/campaigns/

Chalmers, C., Fergus, P., Wich, S., & Montanez, A. (2019). Conservation AI: Live stream analysis for

Child, B. (1996). Zimbabwe's Communal Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources

Child, B. (2000). Making wildlife pay: converting wildlife’s comparative advantage into real

Child, B. (2012). The sustainable use approach could save South Africa's rhinos. South African

Child, B., & Barnes, G. (2010). The conceptual evolution and practice of community-based natural

Child, B., Musengezi, J., Parent , G., & Child, G. (2012). The economics and institutional economics

CITES/Department of Wildlife and National Parks of Botswana (2022). Botswana Elephant

CLN (2022). Open letter: Stop the hypocrisy – a call for the genuine inclusion of African communities

Colchester, M. (2003). Salvaging Nature: Indigenous Peoples, Protected Areas and Biodiversity

Conservation International (2023). Conservation International and Peace Parks Foundation Commit

Conservation Namibia (n.d). Conservation Hunting in Namibia - Socio-economic benefits. Retrieved

Corradini, A., Marescotti, M. E., Demartini, E., & Gaviglio, A. (2022). Consumers' perceptions and

Daniels, R. (2022). Save the African Penguin. Retrieved from

Dickman, A. J., Macdonald, E. A., & Macdonald, D. W. (2011). A review of A review of financial

Dickman, A., Child, B., Hart, A., & Semcer, C. (2021). Misinformation about trophy hunting is

Dilys, R., Nelson, F., & Sandbrook, C. (2009). Community management of natural resources in

Dragon Trail (2019). African Wildlife Foundation Raises Awareness in China for Animal

Engle, J. (2021). Are Zoos Immoral? Retrieved from New York Times:

Fabricius, C. (2004). The fundamentals of community-based natural resource management. In C.

Fabricius, C., Koch, E., Turner, S., & Magome, H. (2013). Rights resources and rural development:

Forssman, T., Page, B., & Selier, J. (2014). How important was the presence of elephants as a

Global Forest Watch (2023). Forest Watcher Updates Improve Managing Teams and Reporting on

Government of the Republic of Namibia (2004). Namibia Vision 2030. Windhoek: Office of the

Gupta, B., & Chakraborty, B. (2005). The role of zoos in the rehabilitation of animals in the circus.

He, J., & Zhou, W. (2022). Conservation versus development: Uncovering divergent viewpoints of

He, T. (2020). Image Monitoring and Artificial Intelligence Recognition Technology for Rare Animal

Hewitson, L. J., & Sullivan, S. (2021). Producing elephant commodities for'conservation hunting'in

Hoyt, J. (1994). Animals in peril: How "sustainable use" is wiping out the world's wildlife. Penguin,

Hulme, D., & Murphree, M. (1999). Communities, wildlife and the ‘new conservation’in Africa.

iNaturalist. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.inaturalist.org/ (accessed 10 November 2023).

Internatinal Rhino Foundation (n.d.). Retrieved from https://rhinos.org/blog/1221-2/ (accessed 10

IRDNC (n.d). Conservancy-Based Community Development Programme. Retrieved from Integrated

IUCN (2016). Informing decisions on trophy hunting: A Briefing Paper for European Union Decision-

Kidd, L.R., Garrard, G.E., Bekessy, S.A., Mills, M., Camilleri, A.R., Fidler, F., Fielding, K.S., Gordon,

Kiley-Worthington, M. (1990). Animals in circuses and zoos: Chiron's world. Little Eco-Farms

Kiss, A. (2004). Is Community-Based Ecotourism a Good Use of Biodiversity Conservation Funds? .

Krishnan, S. R., Nallakaruppan, M. K., Chengoden, R., Koppu, S., Iyapparaja, M., Sadhasivam, J., &

Kuruppu, S. (2023). AI System to Protect Endangered Animgal Population and Prevent Poaching

Laybourne, A. (2022). Why Animals Should not be Kept in Zoos? Retrieved from

Leal Filho, W., Wall, T., Mucova, S.A.R., Nagy, G.J., Balogun, A.L., Luetz, J.M., Ng, A.W., Kovaleva,

Lee, C., & Bharati, P. (2021). Employing Machine Learning for Climate Change Resilience Decision

Lee, H. W., Salemi, M. K., & Siegfried, J. J. (2002). Use it or lose it: Teaching literacy in the

Lets Nurture (2023). Interactive Nature Exploration: Using AR & VR to Connect Visitors with

Lindsey, P. A., Alexander, R. R., Frank, L. G., Mathieson, A., & Romanach, S. S. (2006). Potential of

Lindsey, P., Roulet, P. A., & Romanach, S. S. (2007). Lindsey, Peter A., P. A. Roulet, and S. S.

Lindsey, P.A., Balme, G., Becker, M., Begg, C., Bento, C., Bocchino, C., Dickman, A., Diggle, R.W.,

Lion Recovery Fund (2018). Lion Recovery Fund Introduces Its Mewest Grantees. Retrieved from

Luoma, C. (n.d). Fortress Conservation: The impact on Indigenous peoples today. Retrieved from

MEFT (2022). National Strategy on the Sustainable Management of Bush Resources: 2022-2027.

Mengak, L., Dayer, A.A. & Stern, M.J., (2019). The role of social norms in conservation outreach.

Mohamed-Katerere, J. (2001). Participatory natural resource management in the communal lands of

NACSO (2015). The state of community conservation in Namibia: a review of communal

NACSO (2018). Communal Conservancies in Namibia: A Success Story of Community Empowerment

Nisbet, E. K., & Zelenski, J. M. (2013). The NR-6: A new brief measure of nature relatedness.

NNF (2021). Community-Based Natural Resource Management in Namibia. Retrieved from Namibia

Painted Dogs (2022). In Partnership with the Community. Retrieved from

Peace Parks Foundation (n.d.). Publications. Retrieved from

Pearce, F. (2010, January 19). Why Africa’s National Parks Are Failing to Save Wildlife. Retrieved

Pemunta, V. N. (2019). Fortress conservation, wildlife legislation and the Baka Pygmies of southeast

Peta (n.d.). Animals in Zoos: Condemned to a Life Behind Bars. Retrieved from

Petty, R. E., & Cacioppo, J. T. (1986). The elaboration likelihood model of persuasion. New York:

Pinterest (n.d.). AWF, WildAid Launch Strategic Partnership to Raise Public Awareness about Rhino

RA (2020). Letter To The Times From The Community Leaders Network. Retrieved from Resource

Reckling, W., Mitasova, H., Wegmann, K., Kauffman, G. and Reid, R., (2021). Efficient drone-based

Reder, L. M., & Ritter, F. E. (1992). What determines initial feeling of knowing? Familiarity with

Rhino Friends of America (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/groups/178653905605030/

Richardson, K. (2017). Are trophy hunters psychopaths? Retrieved from Lion Whisperer SA:

SAAMBR (n.d.). Penguin Promises. Retrieved from The South African Association for Marine

Save the Elephant (1969). Project to address human wildlife conflict starts (Botswana). Retrieved

Save The Rhino (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.savetherhino.org/ (accessed 10 December 2023).

Schultz, P. W. (2002). Inclusion with nature: The psychology of human-nature relations. In

Semcer, C. (2019). The Role of Hunting in Conserving African Wildlife. Retrieved from PERC:

Shaffer, L.J., Khadka, K.K., Van Den Hoek, J., & Naithani, K.J., (2019). Human-elephant conflict: A

Shivaprakash, K.N., Swami, N., Mysorekar, S., Arora, R., Gangadharan, A., Vohra, K.,

Smith, R.J., Salazar, G., Starinchak, J., Thomas-Walters, L.& Veríssimo, D. (2020). Social marketing

Snorek, J., & Bolger, D. (2022). Can the center hold? Boundary actors and marginality in a

Song, Z., Wang, Q., Miao, Z., Conrad, K., Zhang, W., Zhou, X., & MacMillan, D.C. (2021). Impact of

Southworth, J., Migliaccio, K., Glover, J., Reed, D., McCarty, C., Brendemuhl, J. and Thomas, A.

Spotify (2021). Retrieved from https://open.spotify.com/show/5NOpdXKl4HTh93y7hfHfZ4 (accessed

SRT (n.d). Retrieved from Save the Rhino Trust Namibia - Conservation. Retrieved from

Tamrakar, A.K., Kirange, S.D., Lakshmi, N.P., & Yadav, R.K. (2023). Natural Language Processing

The Bateleurs (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/thebateleurs/ (accessed 10 December

Thomson, G. (2013). Trophy hunting in the context of community conservation. Retrieved from Africa

Traffic (2021). New mobile reporting app is helping combat corruption and wildlife trafficking in the

Two Oceans Aquarium (2023). #NOOW Not On Our Watch: A campaign to save the African penguin.

UNEP (2019). Striking a balance between conservation and development. Retrieved from

University of Florida (2023). How UF Developed a Model for AI across the Curriculum. Retrieved

USAID (2021). Retrieved from https://www.usaidrdw.org/campaigns/i-am-ivoryfree (accessed 10

USA-NPN (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.usanpn.org/natures_notebook (accessed 10 December

Van Overwalle, F., & Siebler, F. (2005). A connectionist model of attitude formation and change.

Wachala, K. J., & Cupp, J. (2022, April 21). 3 Human-Wildlife Conflict Myths: A New Approach for

Western, D., Wright, M. R., & Strum, S. C. (1994). The background to community-based

White, K., Habib, R., & Hardisty, D.J. (2019). How to SHIFT consumer behaviors to be more

Whitman, K., Starfield, A.M., Quadling, H.S. and Packer, C. (2004). Sustainable trophy hunting of

Wild Trust (2022). Retrieved from https://t.ly/KAb18 (accessed 10 December 2023).

Wild Trust (n.d.). Retrieved from https://wildtrust.co.za/news/ (accessed 10 December 2023).

WildAid (n.d.). Retrieved from https://wildaid.org/ivory-free/ (accessed 10 December 2023).

Wildark (2023). Top Five Ways to Get Your Nature Fix Online During the Pandemic. Retrieved from

Wildavsky, A., & Dake, K. (2018). Theories of risk perception: Who fears what and why? In The

WildlifeAct (n.d.). Monitoring and Tracking Technology. Retrieved from

Wilson, C. (2022). Public engagement and AI: A values analysis of national strategies. Government

Wright, A.J., Veríssimo, D., Pilfold, K., Parsons, E.C.M., Ventre, K., Cousins, J., Jefferson, R.,

Wu, Z.Y., Ismail, M., Serpedin, E., & Wang, J. (2021). Artificial intelligence for smart resource

WWF (n.d.). Retrieved from http://rhino.panda.org/ (accessed 10 December 2023).

Xu, L., Rolf, E., Beery, S., Bennett, J.R., Berger-Wolf, T., Birch, T., Bondi-Kelly, E., Brashares, J.,

Zhang, J., & Li, S. (2017). A review of machine learning based Species' distribution modelling. 

ZoosAfrica (n.d.). African Penguin. Retrieved from

HOW TO CITE THIS PAPER?
APA Style

Foyet, M., & Louis, M. P. (2023). Enhancing Conservation Communication: Using Digital Literacy to Address the Misunderstanding of Southern Africa’s Sustainable Use Approach in Western Settings. Journal of Policy & Governance, 03(02), 17-58. https://doi.org/10.33002/jpg030202

Harvard Style

Foyet, M. and Louis, M. P. (2023). Enhancing Conservation Communication: Using Digital Literacy to Address the Misunderstanding of Southern Africa’s Sustainable Use Approach in Western Settings. Journal of Policy & Governance, 03(02): 17-58. Doi: https://doi.org/10.33002/jpg030202

ACS Style

Foyet M., Louis M. P. Enhancing Conservation Communication: Using Digital Literacy to Address the Misunderstanding of Southern Africa’s Sustainable Use Approach in Western Settings. Journal of Policy & Governance, 2023, 03 (02), 17-58. https://doi.org/10.33002/jpg030202

Chicago/Turabian Style

Foyet, Metolo, Louis, Maxi Pia. 2023. “Enhancing Conservation Communication: Using Digital Literacy to Address the Misunderstanding of Southern Africa’s Sustainable Use Approach in Western Settings”. Journal of Policy & Governance, 03 no. 02: 17-58. https://doi.org/10.33002/jpg030202

AAA Style

Foyet, Metolo and Maxi Pia Louis. 2023. “Enhancing Conservation Communication: Using Digital Literacy to Address the Misunderstanding of Southern Africa’s Sustainable Use Approach in Western Settings”. Journal of Policy & Governance, 03 (02): 17-58. https://doi.org/10.33002/jpg030202

ABSTRACTING LINKS
Crossref: https://doi.org/10.33002/jpg030202
Scilit: https://www.scilit.net/publications/c9e45059e7137e88af6f1be62dc946a2
SSRN:
Academia.edu: https://rb.gy/p3p6qs
ZENODO: https://zenodo.org/records/12748892
OpenAIRE: https://explore.openaire.eu/search/publication?pid=10.33002%2Fjpg030202
Scribd: https://www.scribd.com/document/750870001/jpg030202-foyet-louis-m00368
Publons:
EuroPub: https://europub.co.uk/articles/740495
DRJI:
Cite Factor: https://rb.gy/akff5i
Dimensions: https://shorturl.at/juDKE
ScienceGate:
J-Gate:
Research Gate: https://rb.gy/y7vi1e
Google Scholar:
Harvard Dataverse: https://dataverse.harvard.edu/dataset.xhtml?persistentId=doi:10.7910/DVN/0IKFGR

ARCHIVE & REPOSITORY LINKS
Internet Archive: https://archive.org/details/jpg030202-foyet-louis-m00368
WorldCat: https://search.worldcat.org/de/title/10122958310

ARTICLE METRICS

© 2023 by the author(s). Licensee Journal of Policy & Governance. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). We allow to freely share (copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format) and adapt (remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially) with a legal code: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.

Creative Commons Licence
Journal of Policy & Governance by The Grassroots Institute is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License based on a work at www.grassrootsjournals.org.

In Partnership with

Lviv Polytechnic National University
Lviv Polytechnic National University

Advisory Board

    Advisory Board

    * Prof. Dr. Ivanyshyn Volodymyr (Ukraine)

    * Mr. Tony Sevelka (Canada)

    Editors

    Executive Chief Editor

    Dr. Hasrat Arjjumend President & CEO

    The Grassroots Institute, Canada

    Deputy Editor-in-Chief

    Prof. Dr. Larysa Klymanska, Professor

    Department of Sociology and Social Work

    Lviv Polytechnic National University, Ukraine

    Associate Editor

    Dr. Mohanasundari Thangavel

    Assistant Professor (Economics)

    School of Humanities and Social Sciences

    Indian Institute of Technology Indore, India

    Dr. Ansari P. A.

    Post Doctoral Researcher

    Centre for West Asian Studies

    Jamia Millia Islamia (Central University), India

    Ms. Nusrat Yaqoob

    PhD Fellow

    Department of Economics

    University of Karachi

    & Member, UNESC0-Water (Scientific Committee)

    & Global Climate Ambassador, GYCN-WBG MTE Cohort 2022

    Editorial Board

    * Prof. Dr. George Mavrotas (Belgium)

    * Dr. Sigrid Pauwels (Belgium)

    * Prof. Dr. H. Hassan-Yari (Oman)

    * Dr. Noor Sulastry Y.A. (Oman)

    * Prof. Dr. Honor G. Fagan (Ireland)

    * Dr. Romeo B.Pacudan (Brunei Darussalam)

    * Prof. Dr. habil. Corina M. Radulescu (Romania)

    * Dr. Margarita Cheshmedzhieva (Bulgaria)

    * Dr. Kamelia Assenova (Bulgaria)

    * Dr. Virgil Nicula (Romania)

    * Dr. Vesna Mrdalj (Bosnia & Herzegovina)

    * Prof. Dr. Shulga Ievgenii Viktorovich (Ukraine)

    * Dr. Olena Khrushch (Ukraine)

    * Dr. Lesya Ilchenko-Syuyva (Ukraine)

    * Dr. Iryna Golyash (Ukraine)

    * Dr. Sam Noshadha (Ukraine)

    * Dr. Alla Pecheniuk (Ukraine)

    * Dr. Rinata Kazak (Ukraine)

    * Dr. Orobets K. Mykolaiovych (Ukraine)

    * Stephen J. Ternyik (Germany)

    * Prof. Dr. Scott Valentine (Japan)

    * Dr. Ornanong Benbourenane (UAE)

    * Dr. Bashir AbulQaraya (UAE)

    * Dr. Amany A. El Anshasy (UAE)

    * Dr. Mehrdad Mozayyan (UAE)

    * Dr. Sasidaran Gopalan (UAE)

    * Dr. Sumaia A. Al Kohlani (UAE)

    * Dr. Amani Abdullatif Omer (UAE)

    * Dr. Riham Khafagy (UAE)

    * Dr. Sabiha Alam (India)

    * Dr. Jatswan Singh (Malaysia)

    * Prof. Dr. Shakila Yacob (Malaysia)

    * Dr. Raja Noriza R. Ariffin (Malaysia)

    * Dr. Md. Nazmus Sadekin (Bangladesh)

    * Dr. Evelie P. Serrano (Philippines)

    * Prof. Dr. Judith D. Serrano (Mexico)

Share
Related Articles

Go to Top