| Abstract: | Protected areas are biodiversity conservation centers and major tourism
assets for a nation particularly for developing countries like Ethiopia by
providing sustainable benefits to local community and their livelihood. The
main aim of this study was to assess the costs and benefits of Nech SAR
National Park on the development of Arba Minch town and livelihood of
local people. The study intended to identify the costs of the park on lives of
the people, see the contribution of the park, and describe the status of the
park in terms of wild life, forest composition, and area coverage. To address
this objective the data relevant for the study has been obtained from primary
and secondary sources of data. The researcher was used purposive
sampling mainly expert by use in order to select experts from Nech Sar
national park, Arba Minch town municipal office, Arba Minch town and
Zuria woreda tourism office have been selected, Additionally the researcher
used accidental sampling technique in order to select wood collators,
business owner and others peoples live in Arba Minch town. The data were
collected through questionnaire from wood collators, business owner and
others, interview from selected office and personal observation from some
part of the park and Arba Minch town. Those collected information was
analyzed through qualitative and quantitative data analysis techniques. The
major findings of Nech SAR national park provide benefits for local people
inform of employment opportunities, tourism development, and
infrastructure development and increase the wellbeing of people. on the
other hand Nech Sar national park have costs on local people and livelihood
by restrict human injuries, create displacement, lack of access natural
resource, lack of access to fire wood and lack of access cultivable land. And
this research come up with the status of the park in terms of wild life, forest
composition and area coverage are decline from time to time. And the
researcher suggests that in order to reduce the costs and enhance the
benefits and protect the status of the park those selected offices should be
work together. |
