Dear fellow user
I have recently been tasked to formulate official policies
for livestock grazing in protected areas for the Provincial
conservation department in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.
The Eastern Cape Province is one of the poorest in the
country, and is underdeveloped. It contains amongst the most
unspoilt areas in Africa, but only 3.5% of its area is
formally conserved. Unlike other protected areas in Africa,
the protected areas in the Eastern Cape are fenced and do
not contain resident humans (except staff). Many of the
nature reserves are alongside disadvantaged rural
communities who farm on communal land. These communities
have recently made aggressive demands for grazing, to the
extent of invading some of the protected areas and settling
livestock in them. These demands must be seen against a
background of unjust distribution of land following 40 years
of white domination.
It is clear that a "blanket" livestock grazing policy for
all protected areas will not be feasible, and that some kind
of decision support system needs to be developed to handle
each case individually. The protected areas vary
tremendously in size, complexity and the profiles of the
neighbouring communities. The key factors will be 1) which
variables / factors to incorporate in the system and 2) how
to link these factors together to improve rational decision
making.
Amongst the factors to consider are
* the size of the protected area;
* the human population density surrounding it;
* the rainfall / primary production of the area;
* the economic potential of the protected area for tourism
or wildlife utilization;
* the availability of alternative land for grazing;
* the potential for other development projects peripheral to
the protected area;
* the sensitivity or resilience of the ecosystem;
* the intrinsic conservation value of the area.
MY REQUESTS:
* COULD YOU ASSIST BY MODIFYING THE ABOVE LIST?
* COULD YOU PERHAPS PROVIDE ME WITH EXAMPLES OF SIMILAR
POLICIES FOR OTHER AREAS / COUNTRIES?
* DO YOU KNOW OF EXISTING DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEMS WHICH
COULD BE ADAPTED?
* THIS IS PARTLY A JOB FOR A RESOURCE ECONOMIST, BUT THEY
ARE A RARE BREED IN AFRICA. ANYONE INTERESTED? EXTERNAL
FUNDING NEEDS TO BE FOUND BECAUSE OF THE SMALL GOVT.
CONSERVATION BUDGET.
* IS ANYONE INTERESTED IN JOINTLY OR INDEPENDENTLY
DEVELOPING THE DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM OR SOME OF ITS
MODULES? I'M SURE THAT IT WON'T BE DIFFICULT TO FIND
FUNDING, AND THAT THE SYSTEM WILL HAVE BROADER APPLICATION
THAN THE EASTERN CAPE OR SOUTH AFRICA.
* SOME MONITORING NEEDS TO TAKE PLACE. I WILL APPRECIATE ANY
SUGGESTIONS OR PROPOSALS.
My sincere thanks
CHRISTO FABRICIUS
(Senior Scientist, Integrated Conservation and Development)
P S. In the interim each case is handled ad hoc, through a
combination of "quick and dirty" research, local
consultation and negotiation. In my opinion, dealing with
these issues has strengthened the relations between
conservationists and rural communities and will lead to the
improved management of protected areas. (Any crisis that
forces conservationists to get their act together is a
blessing in disguise).
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Christo Fabricius (Ecologist) *
Cape Nature Conservation *
P/Bag X1126 *********************
6000 PORT ELIZABETH Phone (0)41-3902179 *
SOUTH AFRICA Fax (0)41-337468 *
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