Performing Natures and Land in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, South Africa

Competing visions of nature shape the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, South Africa's first UNESCO World Heritage Site. The study reveals how historical transitions—from hunting to big-game preservation and modern conservation—have redefined human-animal-land relationships, often marginalizing alternative realities. By employing a performative approach, it highlights how certain actors impose their version of nature while excluding others, illustrating the dynamic and contested nature of conservation narratives. This dual strategy of tracing historical transformations and analyzing contemporary enactments underscores the complexity of environmental governance in protected areas.

Nustad, K. G. (2011). Performing Natures and Land in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, South Africa. Ethnos, 76(1), 88–108. https://doi.org/10.1080/00141844.2010.546866