National parks and protected areas in African countries

There are two primary options for the successful preservation of national resources in African national parks: centralized government management and decentralized privatized management. In this article we argue that a free market environmentalism approach to the management of national parks in Africa is preferable to centralized government management. We begin by discussing social, economic, and biophysical trends related to the operations of national parks in Africa. Next, we describe the institutional and political structures of management options, including the conventional centralized planning model, and present alternatives such as co-management and privatization. We then identify current conflicts and controversies regarding national park management in the African context, which include land tenure and expropriation, poverty, and the protection of large mammalian endangered species. Finally, we apply the free market environmentalism approach to African national park management and make a case for why this approach would allow for better protection of endangered large mammal species, benefit African citizens in the surrounding communities, eliminate the free-rider incentive which can lead to acts such as poaching, and create incentives that are necessary for the preservation of African national resources. We conclude that this market-based system is effective in protecting natural resources in areas of Africa where the private owners are willing to pay for the preservation of the environment, and on privatized and which can be successfully profitable through the aid of competition in the market. Keywords: national parks; Africa; free market environmentalism; sustainability (environmental, social