Jens Andersson – författare

The introduction of transfrontier conservation areas (TFCAs) in southern Africa was based on an enchanting promise: simultaneously contributing to global biodiversity conservation initiatives, regional peace and integration, and the sustainable socio-economic development of rural communities. Cross-border collaboration and eco-tourism became seen as the vehicles of this promise, which would enhance regional peace and stability along the way. However, as these highly political projects take shape, conservation and development policymaking progressively shifts from the national to regional and global arenas, and the peoples most affected by TFCA formation tend to disappear from view.

This book focuses on the forgotten people displaced by, or living on the edge of, protected wildlife areas. It moves beyond the grand ''enchanting promise'' of conservation and development across frontiers, and unfounded notions of TFCAs as integrated social-ecological systems. Peoples'' dependency on natural resources – the specific combination of crop cultivation, livestock keeping and natural resource harvesting activities – varies enormously along the conservation frontier, as does their reliance on resources on the other side of the conservation boundary. Hence, the studies in this book move from the dream of eco-tourism-fuelled development supporting nature conservation and people towards the local realities facing marginalized people, living adjacent to protected areas in environments often poorly suited to agriculture.

The introduction of transfrontier conservation areas (TFCAs) in southern Africa was based on an enchanting promise: simultaneously contributing to global biodiversity conservation initiatives, regional peace and integration, and the sustainable socio-economic development of rural communities. Cross-border collaboration and eco-tourism became seen as the vehicles of this promise, which would enhance regional peace and stability along the way. However, as these highly political projects take shape, conservation and development policymaking progressively shifts from the national to regional and global arenas, and the peoples most affected by TFCA formation tend to disappear from view.

This book focuses on the forgotten people displaced by, or living on the edge of, protected wildlife areas. It moves beyond the grand ''enchanting promise'' of conservation and development across frontiers, and unfounded notions of TFCAs as integrated social-ecological systems. Peoples'' dependency on natural resources – the specific combination of crop cultivation, livestock keeping and natural resource harvesting activities – varies enormously along the conservation frontier, as does their reliance on resources on the other side of the conservation boundary. Hence, the studies in this book move from the dream of eco-tourism-fuelled development supporting nature conservation and people towards the local realities facing marginalized people, living adjacent to protected areas in environments often poorly suited to agriculture.

Duvan älskar storstadens puls och människans regler. Där har alla sin plats, även duvorna. Men trots sin dragning till ordningen känner hon sig vilsen, med en gammal tant som enda trygghet. Långt inne i skogen lever Ekorren i ett jätteträd som styrs av Ugglan. Trädet är tryggt men känns ibland som ett fängelse. Ekorren längtar ut men hålls tillbaka av föräldrarnas varningar. Efter en storm korsas deras vägar. Men inget är sig likt. Tryggheten och livet som de kände till är borta. Tillsammans ger de sig ut på en resa där varje steg blir en fråga om liv och död. Med filosofisk underton skildras livets snabba kast, naturens grymhet och vänskapen som kan uppstå när man behöver det som mest. 

”Ibland måste man gå vilse för att hitta hem”