Ecotourism, rural development and local government : a combination for sustainability? : an investigation into the sustainability of ecotourism as a form of rural development, with reference to a case study at Cathedral Peak in the Natal Drakensberg Park

Urquhart, Penny

Ecotourism, rural development and local government : a combination for sustainability? : an investigation into the sustainability of ecotourism as a form of rural development, with reference to a case study at Cathedral Peak in the Natal Drakensberg Park

Master Thesis

1995

Publisher

University of Cape Town

Department

Department of Environmental and Geographical Science

Faculty

Faculty of Science

Abstract

This study arises from a preliminary environmental impact assessment of a proposal by the Natal Parks Board to develop a 200 bed ecotourism facility at Cathedral Peak in the Natal Drakensberg Park. The author of this study was one of a team of five postgraduate students1 from the Department of Environmental and Geographical Science at the University of Cape Town, hereafter referred to as the Masters Group, commissioned to undertake this assessment by the Natal Parks Board (NPB) in January 1995. The preliminary environmental assessment included a scoping exercise to identify all Interested and Affected Parties (I&APs), as well as a socio-economic survey to identify potential positive and negative impacts of the proposed development on neighbouring communities. In addition, this social investigation served to identify opportunities for community involvement in the project, both in the construction and post-construction phases. The complete terms of reference for this preliminary environmental assessment are contained in Attachment 1.