New geographies of conservation and globalisation: the spatiality of development for conservation in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, South Africa

Spatial conflicts in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park (IWP) highlight tensions between state-led conservation goals and local community needs. The study reveals that market-based modernization strategies alienate local people from land and management practices, perpetuating historical insecurities while reshaping ethnic identities and imposing new social-ecological values. Using Henri Lefebvre's theory on the production of space, the research examines two key conflict arenas: fencing and punitive actions against conservation transgressors, illustrating how state power interacts with local space. The findings underscore the socially differentiated effects of governance rules and the challenges of balancing ecological preservation with livelihood generation in a globalized context.

Hansen, M. (2013). New geographies of conservation and globalisation: the spatiality of development for conservation in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, South Africa. Journal of Contemporary African Studies, 31(3), 481–502. https://doi.org/10.1080/02589001.2013.807566