Local Perceptions and Community Engagement in Conservation: Insights from Protected Areas in Guinea-Bissau

Joana Carvalho , Iussuf Dias, Mamadu Lamino Djalo, Mark Bulling, Callum Carpenter

Understanding community perceptions of conservation initiatives is critical for evaluating their effectiveness and fostering long-term local engagement in biodiversity protection. This study employed a multidimensional framework to assess how socio-economic, governance, ecological, and future-oriented factors influence community engagement across four protected areas in Guinea-Bissau: Boé, Dulombi, Cufada, and Cantanhez National Parks. We conducted semi-structured questionnaires (N = 117) across 24 villages and analysed responses using descriptive statistics and Principal Component Analyses (PCA). PCA explained 79% of variance in socio-economic patterns, revealing that project availability and perceived skills strongly predicted engagement. Participation in conservation projects ranged from 50% in Dulombi to 91% in Cufada, and perceived benefits peaked at 100% in Cufada. Ethnic diversity was greater in Cufada and Cantanhez than in the more homogeneous Boé and Dulombi, whilst gender and age showed no significant associations with engagement. Attitude changes toward conservation outside culturally or ecologically significant areas accounted for 80% of variance, with support reaching 100% in Cantanhez, 89% in Boé, and 75% in Dulombi. Communities demonstrated consistently high chimpanzee conservation awareness (86–100%), linking it to reduced hunting and recognition of ecological roles (71% variance explained). Alternative livelihood initiatives in Cufada directly reduced hunting pressure. Over 68% of respondents expressed willingness to engage in future initiatives (77% variance explained), though motivations varied. Persistent challenges included authority conflicts, limited transparency, uneven benefit distribution, human-chimpanzee conflict, and inadequate infrastructure. Conservation success in Guinea-Bissau requires inclusiveness, cultural alignment, and equitable livelihood benefits, underpinned by strengthened local governance and sustained, non-dependency-creating institutional support.