Measuring Social Equity Outcomes in a Community-Based Conservation Program in Ethiopia: Developing and Applying Local Indicators

Community-based conservation (CBC) is riddled with equity concerns. This study examined how household, institutional, and program design characteristics affect multiple dimensions of equity in a CBC program, Ethiopia. We developed local indicators to measure distributive, procedural, and recognition equity. We conducted 200 household surveys in four kebeles (smallest administrative unit). We found slightly negative perceptions of all three dimensions of equity across all kebeles. Women and poorer households had more negative perceptions of distributive equity. Social capital affected all three dimensions of equity but had the largest impact on procedural and recognition equity. Finally, communities in a CBC model with power-sharing mechanisms had higher perceived equity than communities without this mechanism. These findings highlight the need to strengthen weak ties with external organizations, facilitate intra-community cohesion, and design programs that emphasize power-sharing for more equitable outcomes. Our results suggest that more attention is needed to incorporating marginalized groups into CBC.