Community Conservation In Namibia Requires Balance And Understanding

NamStay

AH fanatic
Joined
Dec 18, 2015
Messages
883
Reaction score
1,679
Media
107
Articles
284
Source: https://news.mongabay.com/2019/05/c...equires-balance-and-understanding-commentary/


full



Commentary by Gail Potgieter on 29 May 2019

  • In a recent article, John Grobler recounted his experiences from a one-week visit to Nyae Nyae Conservancy in Namibia. Mr. Grobler’s report, based on brief experiences in Nyae Nyae and a cursory study of the Namibian conservancy system, leaves much to be desired.
  • Grobler implies that the Namibian conservancy program has been less successful in terms of conserving wildlife and providing benefits to local people than the government and supporting NGOs claim. In order to judge the Namibian conservancies, one needs to first place them within the broader African conservation context.
  • This context allows us to examine a more central question about conservancies, one that has been incorrectly answered by many. What exactly are Namibian conservancies, and what is their purpose?
  • This post is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily Mongabay.
This commentary is a response to an article by John Grobler published by Mongabay on February 26, 2019: “It pays, but does it stay? Hunting in Namibia’s community conservation system.”

In a recent article, John Grobler recounted his experiences from a one-week visit to Nyae Nyae Conservancy in Namibia. Mr. Grobler’s report, based on brief experiences in Nyae Nyae and a cursory study of the Namibian conservancy system, leaves much to be desired.

As with many things in life, the more you know about an issue the more you come to realize that it is much more complicated than it first appears. In all fairness, it would be unrealistic to expect anyone wishing to write about a subject to become an expert before they put pen to paper, and that is especially true of Namibia’s conservancy program. That would mean that reporting on the status of any given conservancy would require at least a year of being immersed in the local culture, studying the historical and ecological context, and attending conservancy meetings. Alternatively, you can talk to the experts – the people who have spent most of their careers working with individual conservancies or supporting the conservancy program at a national level.

I was privileged to work with five conservancies in Namibia’s Kunene Region for two years. Working with conservancy committees and employees, along with attending community meetings, gave me insights into the conservancy system that I could not have obtained just by reading about it. During this time, I made a point of spending time with some of the experts on the conservancy system. These include people who were involved with the conservancy system from the very beginning and those who have carried the torch since then.


Red more here on this article: https://news.mongabay.com/2019/05/c...equires-balance-and-understanding-commentary/
 

Forum statistics

Threads
61,841
Messages
1,356,397
Members
117,191
Latest member
Erik V
 

 

 

Latest profile posts

crossfire3006 wrote on JoninCO's profile.
Had an excellent classifieds transaction with JoninCO. A truly honest and standup member. I wouldn't hesitate at all to deal with him again. Thanks, J!
Francois R wrote on Lance Hopper's profile.
Hi Lance, Hope you well. I collect Mauser rifles and they are very much part of my cultural history in Africa. Would you consider selling the rifle now a year on ? I'd like to place it in my collection of Mauser rifles. Many thx
Cooper65 wrote on Rockwall205's profile.
I saw where you hunted elephant with backcountry safaris in Zimbabwe.
Was looking to book an elephant hunt and wanted to know how your hunt went
and if you would recommend them.

Thanks
Mike
hi, do you know about lions hunters, leopard hunters, and crocodiles hunters of years 1930s-1950s
I'm new to Africa Hunting. I would like to purchase a Heym 450-400 double rifle. I'm left-handed but would prefer a non-canted gun. Is anyone in the community considering parting with theirs?
 
Top