Climate change effects on natural resources availability and tourism sustainability in Maasai Mara National Game Reserve, Kenya
Date
2019Author
Rotich, Laban Kipkemoi
Makopondo, Richard Ogola Belle
Kiprutto, Nehemia Kiprop
Barasa, Davis Wekesa
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The purpose of the study was to determine the effects of natural resources on tourism sustainability in
Maasai Mara National Game Reserve, Kenya. The study adopted explanatory research design. The
target population was 169,220 household in Narok County, 300 tourists and 18 experts. The sample size
was 507 respondents comprising of 399 households, 90 tourists and 18 experts selected by simple
random sampling, convenience sampling and snowball sampling respectively. Structured questionnaires
collected data from the host community which was analyzed using Pearson product moment of
correlation, linear and multiple regressions. Data analyses were done through quantitative techniques of
descriptive and inferential statistics with the aid of SPSS V.23. The processes Macro were used to test
the mediation effects. Results indicated that there was a positive significant relationship between climate
change and natural resources (β=0.286 and p=0.000). Moreover, climate change affects natural
resources positively as there was a positive significant relationship between natural resources and
tourism sustainability (β=0.393 and p<0.000). The natural resources controlling for climate change
predicts 42.3% of tourism sustainability. In conclusion, natural resources mediate the relationship
between climate change and tourism sustainability. Despite moderate adaptive capacity to climate
change effects, the study raises urgent interventions for the tourism industry stakeholders on rainfall and
temperature variations that positively contribute to influence the decline in wildlife populations and natural
vegetation. Tourism operators have no choice but to adopt mitigation and adaptation strategies. It is
crucial that policies aimed at strengthening climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies should be enacted at the same time full implementation of the Climate Change Act of 2016. A need exists for
future research to use other climate change indicators other than rainfall and temperature.
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