Private management of African protected areas improves wildlife and tourism outcomes but with security concerns in conflict regions.

ABSTRACT: Protected areas can conserve wildlife and benefit people when managed effectively. African governments increasingly delegate the management of protected areas to private, nongovernmental organizations, hoping that private organizations' significant resources and technical capacities actualize protected areas' potential. Does private sector management improve outcomes compared to a counterfactual of government management? We leverage the transfer of management authority from governments to African Parks (AP)-the largest private manager of protected areas in Africa-to show that private management significantly improves wildlife outcomes via reduced elephant poaching and increased bird abundances. Our results also suggest that AP's management augments tourism, while the effect on rural wealth

SUBMITTER: Denny S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11260162 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature