Exploring the Impact of Community Conservation Enterprises on Household Livelihoods Around Two Wildlife Areas in Sub-Saharan Africa

The community conservation enterprises (CCEs) approach is used for advancing integrated conservation and development goals in Sub-Saharan Africa. CCEs aim to enhance resident livelihoods and reduce dependency on park resources. However, the impacts of CCEs are rarely demonstrable. This exploratory study of residents living adjacent to the Greater Virunga Landscape (GVL) in Rwanda and Uganda helps to address this gap by examining the household livelihood strategy of CCEs among GVL residents. Face-to-face interviews with 571 residents were conducted to assess satisfaction with their household livelihood security (food, education, health, financial). Results indicated that investment in CCEs has led to significant improvements in the livelihoods of residents in Rwanda. However, residents of Uganda reported marginal improvements. This study demonstrates the potential of CCEs for improving food and financial security in areas where tourism growth is substantial. Implications of these findings are discussed.