Integrating different levels of scale

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Integrating different levels of scale in
science, management and policy to sustain
pastoral wildlife ecosystems of East Africa
Photos David Elsworth
Ogeli Makui, Robin S. Reid, Mohammed Y. Said,
David ole Nkedianye Kitengela Land Owners
Association, The Wildlife Foundation,
International Livestock Research Institute,
Colorado State University, University of
Edinburgh, Nairobi, Kenya
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This is a story of our efforts to use science to
support action to sustain pastoral livelihoods
and the ecosystems that support those
livelihoods Part I Ways to create science
that supports communities and policy
makers Part II The real story pastoral
livelihoods and wildlife conservation in the
Kitengela, Kenya
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Bringing the best of science to bear on issues
identified by communities, policy makers and
scientists in pastoral ecosystems of East Africa
Scientists
Sustainability issue
Communities
Policy-
makers
Policy maker photos Daily Nation, Martin Rowe
Other photos R. Reid
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Four scales of study Continent, region,
landscape and local
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Part I Selected livelihoods / sustainability
issues at four scales
Issue / Question
Scale
Boundary partner
Continental (Africa)
Donors, NGOs

• Where are people-wildlife-land use conflicts most
  likely to exist now and in the future?

• Where are human activities currently compatible
  with large scale migrations of wildlife and where
  are they not?
• How is this likely to change in the future?

East African community, pastoral wildlife NGOs
Regional (Maasailand)

• How are land use and pastoral livelihoods
  changing?
• How are wildlife populations and their habitat
  changing?
• What are the probable causes of these changes?
• What human practices better sustain pastoral
  livelihoods and wildlife conservation and which
  do not? Why?
• How do we balance the trade-offs between
  conservation and pastoral development?

Local NGOs, government ministries, development
community, s
Landscape (Tarangire, Amboseli, Kitengela, Mara)

• What are the causes the patterns we see at
  broader scales?
• What are critical human and ecological processes
  that underlie sustainability?

Individual land owners / managers
Local (within landscapes)
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• Connecting science to action for sustainability
• Ingredient 1. Convening the right team and
  committing to learn together
• Inclusive (policy makers, communities, scientist)
• The characters of the right team collegiality,
  trust, diversity, commitment to team goals and to
  making difference (notice intellectual prowess
  and publication record are not the key
  ingredients here)
• Build and reinforce the team look at what
  leaders of great teams do for guidance
• Remember, one of the biggest impacts will be the
  formation and performance of this team

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• Connecting science to action for sustainability
• Ingredient 2. Backwards planning Start from
  outcomes not objectives or outputs
• A key set of questions to answer
• Whos behaviour, action or activity does the team
  want to change with this work? ( who are our
  boundary partners?)
• What behaviour, action or activity does the team
  want to promote or discourage? ( what outcome do
  we want?)
• Then, working backwards What output can the team
  produce that will most quickly and effectively
  result in the outcome? ( what output will
  produce the outcome, through which set of
  boundary partners?)

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Community mapping of land use provides a powerful
tool for communities to argue for land rights and
space to move livestock and conserve migratory
wildlife
Fence Mapping Team Lugard Ole Makui Simon
Sinkeet Ole Mula Nelson Ole Olpute Mark Ole
Koikai Daniel Ole Issa Joseph Ole Maratanta
James Ole Turere Nathaniel Ole Sinket Joseph Ole
Kimiti Simon Ole Peira Ogeli Ole Makui Shem
Kifugo Mohammed Said David Nkedianye Robin
Reid Mike Arunga Vince Odour
Pink fenced parcels
Nkedianye, Said, Kifugo et al in prep
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• Reaching communities and policy makers
• Ingredient 3. Asking the right questions
• What and where are the biggest problems?
• Who cares? Who loses? Does anybody win?
• Are the negative effects big enough to capture
  the attention of communities or policymakers?
• So what? Is it something communities or policy
  makers can do something about?
• Why are changes happening?
• What can be done at what scale?
• Do we know enough to act now?
• Will it work? What are the risks? What will it
  cost?

Tomich et al. 2004
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Serengeti-Mara regional / ecosystem scale
Regional analysis of changes in land use,
livestock and wildlife provide a catalyst for an
international dialogue about livelihood and
conservation policies in Kenya and Tanzania
Serneels, Said, Lambin 2001
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Reaching communities and policy makers
Ingredient 4. Making communication and
continuous engagement the centerpiece of research
for development
Scientists
Community facilitator
Communities
Policy-
makers
Policy maker photos Daily Nation, Martin Rowe
Other photos Ole Kamuaro, R. Reid, B. Graham, C.
Wilson
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An approach to creating science that supports
communities and policy makers in local and
national decision making about livelihoods, land
and conservation

• Identify issues in joint teams of community
  members, local NGOs, government ministries,
  scientists and others
• Understand political, administrative and legal
  limitations and scale of influence of different
  actors
• Create research information that bears directly
  on priority issues in a clear and tangible form
• Co-develop workable policy levers or management
  actions that effectively influence the priority
  issue
• Use influence levers to keep the issue and
  progress visible (influence opinion leaders)
• Stay in the background when it comes to action,
  let the policy maker / community leader stand in
  front for visibility and credit

Photo Martin Rowe
Tomich, Chomitz et al (2004) Reid et al in press
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How do we influence scientists so they focus more
on problems that concern local communities and
policy makers?

• Hook scientists both emotionally and
  intellectually on making a difference change the
  scientific incentives
• Guide scientists to ask the right questions that
  policy makers and communities care about
• Engage southern scientists in work with their
  communities stop the brain drain by providing
  real opportunities for advancement in a career
  that can make a difference
• Encourage northern scientists to work with and
  support (particularly through grants) southern
  scientists to close the science information and
  opportunity gap

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What have we done that actually has made a
difference?
Outputs Wildlife and livestock trends and
analysis reports, cost-benefit analyses, mapping
land use
Changing mindsets Promoted more discussion and
buzz acceptance that wildlife loss is
occurring, the need for action, and pastoralism
is not usually the cause of loss
Catalysing better planning and implementation
faster, more effective land-use planning,
enforcement of regulations, conservation goals
included in agricultural policy
Outcome
Working with boundary partners Over 250 meetings
and training sessions by community facilitators
and researchers with local and national managers,
policy makers
Outcome
Strengthening local institutions brought
community concerns to national attention
community members have more confident voice
supported office as community nerve centre new
information closes information and power gap
Outcome
Outcome
Empowering community members increased skills
and pride, better leadership skills and thus more
effective action
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Even if we fail, what we learn here will help us
save another place for our people and wildlife
Photos Cathy Wilson, Ole Kamuaro