ABSTRACT

The landscape surrounding protected areas (PAs) plays a big role in supporting the achievement of conservation goals. This paper examines demographic dynamics in the vicinity of Akagera National Park (ANP) both in time and space, considers its implication on land-use/land-cover (LULC) change of one of its neighboring districts, and involves the existing environmental planning policies to anticipate the fate of the ANP. Data retrieved from Rwanda Land Management and Use Authority (RLMUA) and from the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR) were reinforced with field observation and Global Positioning System (GPS) measurements taken within Gatsibo district where the study was conducted and injected into a Geographic Information System (GIS) for mapping and analysis. Findings revealed that in the next 50 years, the increasing human settlement and associated social-economic needs will erase any remnant wildlife hotspots in the ‘Unrestricted zone’ of the district and reclaim intrusion in its ‘Restricted zone’ of which ANP is part. This raises imminent fear of growing cases of encroachment of human activities into illegal and high-risk zones and a possible second de-gazettement of the park. The reversal of this trend requires the implementation of the local LULC plan and the promotion of the ecological lifestyle.

摘要

保护区 (PA) 周围的景观在支持实现保护目标方面发挥着重要作用。本文在时间和空间上研究了阿卡盖拉国家公园 (ANP) 附近的人口动态，考虑了其对其邻近地区之一的土地利用/土地覆盖 (LULC) 变化的影响，并涉及现有的环境规划政策预测 ANP 的命运。从卢旺达土地管理和使用管理局 (RLMUA) 和卢旺达国家统计局 (NISR) 检索的数据通过在进行研究的 Gatsibo 地区进行的实地观察和全球定位系统 (GPS) 测量得到加强，并注入到用于制图和分析的地理信息系统 (GIS)。调查结果显示，在接下来的 50 年里，不断增加的人类住区和相关的社会经济需求将消除该地区“非限制区”中任何残余的野生动植物热点，并收回对 ANP 所属的“限制区”的入侵。这引发了人们对越来越多的人类活动侵入非法和高风险区域的案例的担忧，以及公园可能第二次被撤销公报的担忧。扭转这种趋势需要当地LULC计划的实施和生态生活方式的推广。这引发了人们对越来越多的人类活动侵入非法和高风险区域的案例的担忧，以及公园可能第二次被撤销公报的担忧。扭转这种趋势需要当地LULC计划的实施和生态生活方式的推广。这引发了人们对越来越多的人类活动侵入非法和高风险区域的案例的担忧，以及公园可能第二次被撤销公报的担忧。扭转这种趋势需要当地LULC计划的实施和生态生活方式的推广。