swot field trip - international union for...

5
SWOTanalysis field trip of the 37 th Steering Committee CEM in Kenya By IUCN Commission on Ecosystem Management Steering Committee, October 2013 Associated to the Steering Committee meeting in Nairobi CEM visited a number of conservation activities in Kenya. The purpose of these field visits is to interact with the local partners and to experience ecosystem management at first hand, rather than only talk about it. This way we can share the knowledge of our Commission with local communities as well as learning from other communities during the field visits. This document is made up by input from handon observations during our field trips in Meru National Park, The Sweet Waters Tented Camp in Ol Pejetta and Nairobi National Park. The general impression of the field visits was very positive. Not only did we enjoy the beauty of Kenya’s landscapes and wildlife, but we also had interesting exchanges with representatives of local communities in Meru National Park, with whom we stayed in a communityowned ecotourist camp, a mutual learning exercise. However, interactions with protected areas could have been more intensive. We prepared a SWOT Analysis of these field trips and we hope that it will be of use to field activities, management and local communities that we have interacted with, and to ourselves as a background documents for our (potential) CEM partners in the Eastern and Southern African region. It will definitely be useful in planning future workshops during SCmeetings. Please note where in this document reference is made to a “principle”, it concerns the principles of the ecosystem approach endorsed by COP10 at Nairobi (2006), see Annex I.

Upload: lexuyen

Post on 28-Feb-2019

225 views

Category:

Documents


0 download

TRANSCRIPT

SWOT-­‐analysis  field  trip  of  the  37th  Steering  Committee  CEM  in  Kenya    

By  IUCN  Commission  on  Ecosystem  Management  Steering  Committee,  October  2013    

 

 Associated   to   the   Steering   Committee   meeting   in   Nairobi  CEM   visited   a   number   of   conservation   activities   in   Kenya.  The  purpose  of  these  field  visits  is  to  interact  with  the  local  partners  and   to  experience  ecosystem  management  at   first  hand,  rather  than  only  talk  about  it.  This  way  we  can  share  the   knowledge   of   our   Commission  with   local   communities  as  well  as  learning  from  other  communities  during  the  field  visits.   This   document   is   made   up   by   input   from   hand-­‐on  observations   during   our   field   trips   in  Meru   National   Park,  The   Sweet  Waters   Tented   Camp   in   Ol   Pejetta   and   Nairobi  National  Park.    The  general  impression  of  the  field  visits  was  very  positive.  Not  only  did  we  enjoy  the  beauty  of  Kenya’s  landscapes  and  wildlife,   but   we   also   had   interesting   exchanges   with  representatives  of  local  communities  in  Meru  National  Park,  with   whom   we   stayed   in   a   community-­‐owned   eco-­‐tourist  camp,   a   mutual   learning   exercise.     However,   interactions  with  protected  areas  could  have  been  more  intensive.  We   prepared   a   SWOT   Analysis   of   these   field   trips   and  we  hope   that   it   will   be   of   use   to   field   activities,   management  and  local  communities  that  we  have  interacted  with,  and  to  ourselves   as   a   background   documents   for   our   (potential)  CEM  partners  in  the  Eastern  and  Southern  African  region.  It  will   definitely   be   useful   in   planning   future   workshops  during  SC-­‐meetings.      Please   note   where   in   this   document   reference   is   made   to   a  “principle”,   it   concerns   the   principles   of   the   ecosystem   approach  endorsed  by  COP-­‐10  at  Nairobi  (2006),  see  Annex  I.  

  2  

     

                                                             

Strengths    General  remarks    

• There  is  an  interesting  range  of  conservation  experiences;  from  community-­‐based  to  high  value  tourism  • The  biodiversity  conservation  efforts  in  and  around  Meru  National  Park,  Sweet  Waters  Tenting  Camp  and  Nairobi  National  Park  are  remarkable.  

 Local  Staff  and  communities  

 • There   was   an   ecologically   sound   management   plan   for   the   area   adjacent   to   Meru   National   Park,   made   by   the   local  

communities.  It  covers  a  large  area  (principle  2)  with  the  high  level  of  cooperation  between  various  user  groups.  The  plan  integrated     ecosystem  management  to  provide  economic  benefits   to   local  users  within   the   systems’  capacities  to  deliver  ecosystem  products  and  services  on  a  sustainable  basis  

• The  community  based  tourist  camp  was  well  set-­‐up,  with  an  interesting  “bush-­‐experience”  for  eco-­‐tourists  (not  necessarily  backpackers  only),  and  with  capable  interpreters  to  discuss  with.  

• The  meeting  with  the  pastoralists  at  the  watering  point  was  a  highlight  of  the  field  trip.  We  saw  application  of  the  ecosystem  approach  in  action  including:  

o Setting  of  objectives  by  societies o Agreeing  on  trade-­‐offs o Decision  making  at  the  lowest  appropriate  level

 Nature  and  Wildlife    

• Incredible  richness  of  wildlife  observed  at  all  sites    • Near  SWTC  we  passed  a  corridor  where  elephants  (and  other  animals)  may  pass  the  road  safely.  An  interesting  

facility  in  the  densely  populated  area  of  the  Kenyan  highlands.  • Good  facilities  for  confiscated  Chimpanzees  and  relocated  Black-­‐  and  White  Rhino’s  

 Logistics  and  Campus    

• Very  comfortable  and  well-­‐equipped  Sweet  Waters  Tented  Camp  • Hotel,  food  and  welcome  correct  at  all  National  Parks  • Interesting  exhibitions  on  Chimpanzees  and  Rhino’s  • Excellent  organization  of  transport  -­‐  both  air  and  ground  travel  

 

  3  

       

                             

   

Weaknesses    General  remarks  

• Lack  of  technical  introduction  and  background  information,  including  social,  ecological  and  cultural  information.    Local  staff  and  communities  

• No  opportunities   for  the  SC-­‐members  to  exchange  views  and  ideas  with  the  management  at  Sweet  Water  TC,  nor  with  the  management  of  Meru  National  Park.  Aspects  to  discuss  include  a/o    

• How  do  the  local  communities  benefit  (principle  4)  • What  use  is  made  of  local  knowledge  for  the  management  of  the  area  (principle  11)  • Integration  of  the  protected  area  in  the  management  of  a  region  (principles  3  and  7)  

• Societal  choice  as  worded  in  principle  1,  should  involve  all  stakeholders.  This  did  not  seem  to  be  the  case  with  the  community-­‐based  management  plan  of  the  buffer  zone  area  around  Meru  N.P.  that  we  visited.  Only  the  users  with  ancestral  rights  were  involved  in  the  process,  others  that  might  have  used  the  area  for  generations  as  well,  such  as  Somali  herdsmen,  seem  to  be  excluded  from  the  decision  making  process.  

   

Nature  and  Wildlife    • In  places  of  the  Buffer  Zone  around  Meru  N.P.,  bush  encroachment  was  affecting  the  quality  

of  the  land  for  grazing  negatively    • A  bit  a  Zoo-­‐type  of  setting  at  Sweet  Waters  TC,  demonstrated  by  the  presence  of  Mountain  

Zebra,  a  species  that  occurs  naturally  in  Southern  Africa  only    

  4  

 

Opportunities    General  Remarks  

• Good  examples  of  protected  areas  and  their  values  in  an  urban  (i.e.  Nairobi)  and  densely  populated  (SWTC)  setting  that  may  be  used  for  the  discussions  in  the  Urban  Ecosystems  Thematic  Group  to  be  established  (Principle  3).  

   Local  staff  and  communities  

• It   is  recommended  to  organise  for  similar  site  visits  meetings  with  the  people   in   the   field   as   this  would   allow     them   to  get   acquainted  with  CEM   and   from   CEM-­‐side   we   can   learn   on   how   they   manage   their  ecosystems  -­‐  perhaps  contributing  with  our  expertise.    o  About   local   community   interaction/perceptions/attitudes  with/towards  the  conservancy  

o  A  more   in-­‐depth  analysis  of  the   issues  raised  by  the  pastoralists  –  working  the  ESARO  project  and  have  a  very  good  case  study.  

o  A   session   with   management   of   Sweet   Waters   to   highlight   issues  regarding   conservation,   protection   and   exploitation   of   the   same  ecosystem  services  by  diverse  users.  

o  We  could  provide  some  advice  to  the  women  running  the  Malka  Bijanadi   Cultural   Village   on   marketing   their   enterprise.   Note  should  be  taken  of  Principle  4.  

 Nature  and  Wildlife    

• Bush   encroachment   in   the   buffer   zone   of   Meru   N.P.   might     be  counteracted  on  an  experimental  basis   by  the  production  of  charcoal  (principle  10)  

• A  possible  case-­‐study  about  wildlife-­‐cattle  interaction  in  Ol  Pejetta.      

  5  

 Annex  I:  The 12 principles of the Ecosystem Approach  

 

 Threats  

• IUCN  was  not  known  by  the  staff  of  Nairobi  N.P.  that  guided  us  through  their  park    (despite  reference  to  the  Red  List  of  Species  at  the  information    Centre)  • Terrorist  attacks  did  not  stop  us  from  going  to  Nairobi,  but  it  is  a  factor  that  many  visitors  will  consider  when  planning  to  come  to  Kenya    

Principle  1:  The  objectives  of  management  of  land,  water  and  living  resources  are  a  matter  of  societal  choice  

Principle  2:  Management  should  be  decentralized  to  the  lowest  appropriate  level  

Principle  3:  Ecosystem  managers  should  consider  the  effects  (actual  or  potential)  of  their  activities  on  adjacent  and  other  ecosystems.  

Principle  4:  Recognizing  potential  gains  from  management  there  is  usually  a  need  to  understand  and  manage  the  ecosystem  in  an  economic  context.  Any  such  ecosystem  management  programme  should:  

(a) Reduce  those  market  distortions  that  adversely  affect  biological  diversity;  (b) Align  incentives  to  promote  biodiversity  conservation  and  sustainable  use;  (c) Internalise  costs  and  benefits  in  the  given  ecosystem  to  the  extent  feasible.  

 Principle  5:  Conservation  of  ecosystem  structure  and  functioning,  in  order  to  maintain  ecosystem  services,  should  be  a  priority  target  of  the  ecosystem  approach.  

Principle  6:  Ecosystems  must  be  managed  within  the  limits  of  their  functioning  

Principle  7:  The  ecosystem  approach  should  be  undertaken  at  the  appropriate  spatial  and  temporal  scales.    

Principle  8:  Recognising  the  varying  temporal  scales  and  lag  effects  that  characterise  ecosystem  processes,  objectives  for  ecosystem  management  should  be  set  for  the  long  term.  

Principle  9:  Management  must  recognise  that  change  is  inevitable.  

Principle  10:  The  ecosystem  approach  should  seek  the  appropriate  balance  between,  and  integration  of  conservation  and  use  of  biological  diversity    

Principle  11:  The  ecosystem  approach  should  consider  all  forms  of  relevant  information,  including  scientific  and  indigenous  and  local  knowledge,  innovations  and  practices.  

Principle  12:  The  ecosystem  approach  should  involve  all  relevant  sectors  of  society  and  scientific  disciplines.