Qambemeda Nyanghura

• Ecosystem services

• Tanzania

Abstract of my Thesis 

Tittle: Effectiveness of conservation policies in securing ecological corridors of Tanzania

Landscape connectivity is imperative for conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem functionality. Wildlife corridor is one example of these important landscape that is currently owned privately by farmers in Tanzania. Voluntary decision of farmers to conserve their agricultural land for wildlife corridor requires coordination incentives, that yields a systematic spatial network of contiguous habitat. Coordination incentives shape pro-social behaviour and encourages cooperation amongst farmers that results to landscape connectivity. Examples of coordination incentives are Agglomeration bonus (AB), Threshold bonus (TB) and Threshold payment (TP). TBs and TPs require a pre-defined threshold level of land conservation to be met by the community. An AB is paid on top of fixed conservation payment incentive only if conserved land, which may be owned by different community members, share common borders. AB has widely tested in lab experiments in developed countries under symmetrical land size assumptions. Its performance under land size heterogeneity has received limited attention. Despite the role of economic incentives, social values (biospheric ultruism and egoistic value) and social norms (trust and reciprocity) also matters in shaping pro-social behaviour. While biospheric value explains the empathy to nature, altruism explains sense of care to others and egoistic entail selfish interest. Trust and reciprocity are important social capital that enhances social connectedness, mutual cohesion and therefore propensity for cooperation. The extent to which these social values and norms exists and their influence to shape pro-social behaviour remains elusive and context specific. Using framed filed experiment and decision analysis methods, I will address three key objectives in my research. First, I will assess the performance of agglomeration bonus in improving landscape connectivity under land inequality. Second, I will examine to what extent do social values and social norms exists in the community and how do they influence landscape connectivity. And third, I will assess the cost effectiveness of the different coordination incentive schemes in improving landscape connectivity and social welfare where I will use decision analysis framework. Understanding interactions between farmers and their behavior underpins the development of effective and optimal incentive schemes for biodiversity conservation. The findings will serve as important ex-ante evaluation of policy for government decision. These findings will be relevant for researchers, practitioners and policy makers particularly in the areas of resource management, land use and agricultural development in developing countries.          

German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)

Prof. Dr. Lisa Biber-Freudenberger

Prof. Dr. Jan Börner

CV_Nyanghura_01.pdf [PDF | 124.11KB]