Analysis of economic efficiency of wildlife law enforcement in Serengeti ecosystem protected areas, Tanzania
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Date
2013
Authors
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Publisher
Sokoine University of Agriculture
Abstract
Poaching is regarded to be a critical threat to conservation of protected areas in Tanzania.
To date efforts to reduce poaching are relied on law enforcement techniques which are
reported to require much resources. Efficiency studies on wildlife law enforcement in the
protected areas are limited. This study analyzed and compared economic efficiency of
wildlife law enforcement using three Decision Making Unit (DMU) of Serengeti National
Park, Ikorongo/Grumeti Game Reserves and Ikona Wildlife Management Area. Three
years (2010-2012) monthly data on wildlife law enforcement inputs and outputs were
collected from key informants and supplemented by secondary data. Structured interview
to 153 randomly selected wildlife law enforcement staff was undertaken to collect socioeconomic
data. Shadow prices for non-marketed inputs were estimated, and market prices
were used for tangible inputs. Input-oriented Data envelopment analysis was used to
estimate economic efficiency under Variable Return to Scale and Constant Return to
Scale assumptions. Results revealed that under BCC model, wildlife law enforcement in
all DMUs were technical efficient. Mean allocative efficiency were 78.5% (SENAPA),
87.9% (IGGR) and 97.3% (IWMA), similar to economic efficiency scores. This implies
that to attain economic efficiency, input usage were to be reduced by 21.5%, 12.1% and
2.7% in that order of the DMUs. Economic inefficiency in CCR model was largely
attributed by technical inefficiency than allocative. A significant negative relationship
between days-off and economic efficiency in both models was observed. Likewise,
positive and negative coefficients of labour under constant and variable return to scales
models in SENAPA and IGGR were respectively observed, implying that increase in
labour improve technical efficiencies in SENAPA and reduce the economic efficiencies in
IGGR. The less inefficient observed under IWMA was attributed to sense of ownership
created and participation, roles on responsibility developed through community-based
wildlife management which resulted to decrease in law enforcement inputs.
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Description
Dissertation
Keywords
Wildlife, Serengeti ecosystem, Poaching, conservation