Community based Natural Resource Management: Impacts and Lessons Learned from Southern Africa Mike M

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Community based Natural Resource Management
Impacts and Lessons Learned from Southern
AfricaMike McGahuey and Bob WinterbottomUSAID/F
RAME May 7, 2007
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A word about FRAME

• Funded by USAID to build knowledge sharing
  networks among NRM professionals and decision
  makers
• Organized to facilitate access and use of
  knowledge about NRM experiences, including
• Whats working and why
• Emerging trends in NRM
• Innovative and strategic options to address key
  issues
• See www.frameweb.org

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FRAME/IUCN Assessments of CBNRM in Southern Africa

• Launched in 2005 with IUCN/SA and national CBNRM
  partners to assess approaches for biodiversity
  conservation and mainstreaming of CBNRM in
  implementation of UNCCD
• Designed to improve cross-sectoral information
  sharing and to maximize synergies between CBNRM,
  UNCCD, NWP
• 5 Country Studies Botswana, Malawi, Namibia,
  South Africa, Zimbabwe
• Cross cutting papers
• linkages between CBNRM and desertification
  control
• CBNRM impacts on livelihoods, poverty reduction
  and food security
• Planning a forum with practitioners and decision
  makers in the SADC region in July 2007

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Affinities between CBNRM Programs and UNCCD
National Action Plans

• Promote favorable enabling environment (policies,
  legislation, recognition of rural organizations)
• Participatory, integrated approach with emphasis
  on capacity building and partnerships
• Increased management authorities by local
  communities
• Support for sustainable utilization and improved
  management of NR
• Encourage diversification of income generating
  activities and increased livelihood security
• Increasing emphasis on impact monitoring,
  improved reporting
• CBNRM proven approach to deliver results
  targeted by UNCCD not a panacea but can be
  embedded in broader sustainable livelihood /
  rural development strategies

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Impacts of CBNRM on Biodiversity Conservation

• Significant, positive impacts on wildlife
  populations following community mobilization for
  patrols and monitoring, and transfer of rights
  for increased local benefits and sustainable use
• 6 fold increase in game in Nyae Nyae Conservancy
• Wildlife utilization has emerged as an
  alternative land use (SLM) more likely to prevent
  or reverse degradation than traditional
  agriculture / livestock grazing
• Positive impacts on biodiversity now affecting
  large areas outside of PA networks (e.g. 11
  million ha covered by 50 Conservancies of
  Namibia)

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Impacts of CBNRM on Poverty Reduction

• Generated significant material benefits although
  average direct economic impacts per household
  generally modest
• Livelihood options and benefits from CBNRM
  programs can supplement income from agriculture
  and livestock and reduce dependency on
  traditional land uses
• Serving as a vehicle to access micro-credit
  (Botswana)
• Contributing to increased food security (Malawi)
• Non material benefits also very important
• Diversification, expanded economic options
• Empowerment, negotiation with joint ventures
• Enterprise development opportunities
• Improved relations with government

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Impacts of CBNRM on Governance

• CBNRM proponents served as catalysts for
  legislation to devolve authority, strengthen
  local role in NRM
• Clarification of community rights to benefit from
  wildlife has encouraged the organization of
  transparent, democratic institutions to manage
  wildlife and benefit distribution
• Community based CBNRM institutions also serve as
  a forum to reconcile conservation / economic
  development objectives
• Functioning CBOs also provide a means for local
  level implementation of UNCCD action plans
• Emerging federations of CBNRM organizations
  increase advocacy / voice of local CBOs in
  national dialogue

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Experiences and Lessons learned from the
FRAME/IUCN assessments

• Programs launched with an emphasis on
  conservation objectives and revenue sharing from
  wildlife based tourism, but longer term support
  is tied to effectiveness in addressing poverty
  reduction, enterprise development opportunities
• Economic impacts more easily leveraged in areas
  with abundant wildlife resources continuing
  challenge to generate positive impacts and local
  buy-in from less well endowed areas
• Synergies could be enhanced by more attention to
  information sharing and cross sectoral
  collaboration with UNCCD, others
• Continued attention needed for capacity building
  and long term institutional development,
  clarification of rights, equitable benefit
  distribution and facilitation of market access

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Summing up

• Instead of asking, How should we conserve
  biodiversity?, the CBNRM Assessment asked, How
  has biodiversity been conserved?
• Major finding The more that rules for managing
  natural resources are made/agreed to by local
  populations and the more they address local
  socio-economic concerns, the more likely they
  will be followed and the more likely biodiversity
  will be conserved.

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Looking ahead

• To extent this is true, should not USAID be
  asking about programs it funds
• Do local populations participate in rule-making
  processes and do these rules address local
  interests?, or
• Are rules an artifact of an outside-driven
  project and therefore require long-term funding
  to enforce?
• For continued dialogue please go to
• www.frameweb.org/cbnrmlessons