A bibliometric analysis of wildlife governance in relation to African elephant conservation and community participation

Abstract Discussions surrounding wildlife governance are lacking in critical engagement concerning the impact of different tiers of governance on elephant conservation and community participation. Although most studies acknowledge that local-level wildlife governance is impacted by higher levels of governance, few have endeavored to analyze the nature and impact of this interface. This study conducted a comprehensive literature review to investigate how studies have addressed this complex subject matter. The study aims to determine how wildlife governance scholarship considers global multilateralism, particularly CITES decisions, and their impact on elephant conservation and community participation. A bibliometric analysis was performed using data from online databases and visualization software. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) were then used as a protocol to select relevant literature from the larger database for content analysis. The findings suggest that, while wildlife governance is a globally documented and acceptable concept, research on the impact of environmental multilateralism, especially CITES, on African elephant conservation and community participation is very limited. Existing studies mainly focus on approaches to elephant and broader wildlife conservation, protected area management, sustainable development, governance approaches, approaches to community participation, CITES, and wildlife trade. There is an identified dearth in the available literature on how the participation of communities living with wildlife, in particular, the African elephant is affected by higher governance structures such as Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs). These findings provide valuable insights for future research trends, highlighting opportunities for building research partnerships and strengthening engagements at all levels of wildlife governance, policy generation, and community participation.