Integrating Locals’ Importance-Performance Perception of Adaptation Behaviour into Invasive Alien Plant Species Management Surrounding Nyika National Park, Malawi

Abstract

Invasive species are a huge concern to environmental management across the world because they threaten ecosystems, habitats, and species biodiversity, with largely permanent consequences. This study investigates the aspects of community capital and community resilience for the management of Invasive Alien Plant Species (IAPS) under importance-performance analysis in communities surrounding Nyika National Park (Mhuju and Ntchenachena) in Malawi. The study used the binary logistic regression model to determine the locals’ management and adaptation behaviours to IAPS. The findings show that although both IAPS management and adaptation were considered highly important, their performance was only rated at a low level, indicating a significant gap between the importance of eight management and adaptation behaviours for IAPS and their actual performance. The results also show that IAPS management strategies such as ‘’promoting community awareness of common IAPS and their impacts on livelihood” and “incorporating IAPS issues into the school curriculum” are useful in nurturing the locals’ management behaviour. Furthermore, we have identified the following characteristics as having a significant influence on the locals’ participation in IAPS impact reduction and adaptation: (1) age, (2) residential area, (3) understanding the IAPS impacts, (4) membership of farmers’ club or Village Natural Resource Management Committee (VNRMC), and (5) discussion of IAPS in farmer club or VNRMC. These findings provide empirical evidence to policy makers for an effective IAPS management strategy.