News
Another Milestone towards Integrated Ecosystem Management
The N#a-Jaqna conservancy in west Tsumkwe held its annual general meeting in April 2008. The proper integration of one declared and three emerging community forests located within the conservancy boundaries was part of the focus of the meeting.
Discussions on the pros and cons of various area and boundary arrangements and possible organisational set-ups were facilitated by support organisations who had addressed these topics prior to the AGM with members of the conservancy, community forest management committees and other stakeholders.
A vote among conservancy members revealed a clear majority preference for declaring the entire conservancy area south of the C44 road to Tsumkwe a N#a-Jaqna conservancy/community forest and to use sub-committees for the supervision and coordination of forest and wildlife management at local level.
As a large part of the conservancy area north of the C44 road has been designated by the Ministry of Lands and Resettlement for the allocation of leaseholds for commercial farming, this area was excluded from community forest management.
As the N#a-Jaqna conservancy members wish to amend their constitution to include community forestrelated provisions, local support organizations will discuss proposals – for instance with regard to management structures and benefit distribution schemes – with individual villages, in order to consolidate a common understanding and broad support for the new integrated resource management strategy.
The AGM decisions confirm the interest and commitment of local San communities to communitybased natural resource management that not only promotes skills, income and employment opportunities, but can also incorporate knowledge and skills emanating from traditional resource use. While similar integration efforts are also being pursued in other regions, the N#a-Jaqna AGM represents an important milestone towards integrated ecosystem management.
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!Kung Chief Arnold explaining different management options to AGM participants |
[1 May 2008]