Title: Livelihood Pressures, Benefit-Sharing Equity, and Conservation Behaviour in Fishing Enclaves
Authors: Ayebare David Santson, Asingwire Richard, Kukundakwe Rebecca
Volume: 10
Issue: 4
Pages: 255-261
Publication Date: 2026/04/28
Abstract:
Conservation policy has increasingly shifted toward people-centred approaches that integrate livelihoods, equity, and community participation. However, in fishing enclaves adjacent to protected areas in Uganda, particularly around Queen Elizabeth National Park, conservation outcomes remain constrained by persistent livelihood dependence, inequitable benefit-sharing, and weak behavioural engagement. This study employed a narrative review design to synthesise interdisciplinary evidence from 1980 to 2025 on conservation policy and practice in protected-area-adjacent communities. Literature was identified from major academic databases and policy sources and analysed using a socio-ecological framework. The synthesis focused on three core domains: livelihood pressures, benefit-sharing equity, and conservation behaviour, with emphasis on feasibility, reach, and sustainability in real-world settings. The review shows that livelihood dependence remains a primary driver of resource use, with many interventions failing due to limited economic viability and poor alignment with local economic systems. Benefit-sharing mechanisms, although widely implemented, are often constrained by inequitable access, weak transparency, and limited reach among highly dependent populations. Conservation behaviour is influenced by incentives, governance, and social dynamics, yet existing approaches insufficiently integrate these elements. Across contexts, interventions are frequently undermined by feasibility gaps, limited community engagement, and weak sustainability, particularly in high-dependence environments such as fishing enclaves. Uganda has established strong conservation policy frameworks, but their effectiveness is limited by fragmentation and weak integration across sectors. Achieving sustainable conservation outcomes requires an integrated, socio-ecological approach that aligns livelihood systems, equitable benefit-sharing, and participatory governance within enclave-specific contexts. Future research should prioritise implementation-focused designs that evaluate which livelihood interventions are economically viable, how benefit-sharing mechanisms can effectively reach and engage target populations, and how governance structures influence sustained conservation behaviour. Longitudinal and interdisciplinary studies are needed to generate actionable evidence on feasibility, reach, and sustainability to inform adaptive policy and practice. Embedding conservation within scalable systems, such as Uganda's competency-based education framework, offers a practical pathway to strengthen behavioural change, improve community engagement, and support sustainable conservation outcomes in high-dependence contexts.