Conservation Genomics & Biomonitoring Workshop_ Botswana 2024 ( ConGenBW24)

ConGenBW24 will be an introductory course that will teach students various ways in which genetics can be used to inform wildlife and biodiversity conservation. It will delve into the methodologies (study design, genetic sample collection, DNA extraction PCR, eDNA, population genetics, molecular ecology, and genomics toolkit), interpretation, and practical applications of genetic analyses in the conservation and biomonitoring of wildlife and threatened species. The course is targeted at undergraduate, graduate, and professionals with a background in biology/ecology, who are actively working on (or studying) conservation and wildlife related topics in Botswana and more broadly, Southern Africa. The course is taught by Dr. Pooja Singh and Dr. Tamara Schenekar who are experts in applying genetics tools to study biodiversity in Europe & Africa. The course will be held at the Okavango Research Institute (ORI) in Maun.

 
Participation requirements: The course will accommodate 16 students and will be limited to citizens or residents from Botswana, Angola, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa due to travel funding limitations.

Application: This course is free and includes accommodation, meals, and course-related transportation (rules apply).

For more information: https://poojasinghevogen.weebly.com/teaching.html   

 

Deadline to apply is 15th of July 2024

A review and SWOC analysis of natural heritage tourism in sub-Saharan Africa

 By Chiedza N. Mutanga, Oluwatoyin D. Kolawole, Reniko Gondo & Joseph E. Mbaiwa

The article examines the condition of tourism centered around natural heritage in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and evaluates its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and challenges (SWOC) in a corresponding manner. Data was gathered from secondary sources, and an inductive qualitative approach was employed for analysis. The results of the study indicate that a significant portion of the weaknesses in SSA pertains to financial limitation. The primary challenges affecting the sustainability of natural heritage encompass political instability, climate change, wildlife crime, and changes in land use. The paper concludes that while the region has several strengths and opportunities, there also exist several weaknesses and challenges, which negatively impact the sustainability of both the natural heritage legacy and tourism. 

Read more: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1743873X.2023.2255689

Poaching and the problem with conservation in Africa - commentary

By Richard Fynn and Oluwatoyin Kolawole  (Okavango Research Institute)

 Poaching is a complex topic that cannot be solved by myopic, top-down enforcement approaches. Crime syndicates may be fuelling the poaching of elephant and rhino but they are not the source of the problem. Rather than treat the symptoms by spending millions on weapons and anti-poaching forces, which experience has repeatedly shown does not stop poaching, there is a need to understand the underlying causes of the poaching problem if it is to be solved.  

Across Africa, state-led anti-poaching forces, no matter how well funded and equipped, have been unable to curtail the high levels of poaching currently observed. 

Devolving power and benefits to local communities will enable local communities to acquire full responsibility for anti-poaching operations, which they are much better positioned to do than external agencies who do not have the social networks and local knowledge needed to effectively perform oversight functions in the local area. As witnessed in the Luangwa Valley and Namibian conservancies, there is every likelihood that there will be a significant decline in poaching once community conservation is properly implemented.

Read more:  https://news.mongabay.com/2020/03/poaching-and-the-problem-with-conservation-in-africa-commentary/

World Wildlife Day - 3 March

2016 Theme: “The future of wildlife is in our hands”

World Wildlife Day is an opportunity to celebrate the many beautiful and varied forms of wild fauna and flora and to raise awareness of the multitude of benefits that conservation provides to people. At the same time, the Day reminds us of the urgent need to step up the fight against wildlife crime, which has wide-ranging economic, environmental and social impacts.

Wildlife has an intrinsic value and contributes to the ecological, genetic, social, economic, scientific, educational, cultural, recreational and aesthetic aspects of sustainable development and human well-being. For these reasons, all member States, the United Nations system and other international organizations, as well as civil society, non-governmental organizations and individuals, are invited to observe and to get involved in this global celebration of wildlife. Local communities can play a positive role in helping to curb illegal wildlife trade.

2016 theme is “The future of wildlife is in our hands”, with African and Asian elephants being the main focus of global campaigns.

The theme “The future of wildlife is in our hands” reinforces the inextricable link between wildlife, people and sustainable development. It is the responsibility of each generation to safeguard wildlife for the following generation. It also imparts the pressing need for national action to ensure the survival in the wild of both charismatic and lesser known species.

More Info: http://www.un.org/en/events/wildlifeday/

Predator Numbers Don't Always Increase with Prey

Scientists have uncovered what seems to be an unusual law of nature that keeps big predator numbers low across vast spaces of the Earth and its oceans. Even when there are plenty of prey around for larger creatures like lions to eat, the number of lions in an area does not increase, said the findings in the journal Science. It's all a form of camouflage, right? Wrong! Trace takes a look at a few different animals in the wild that have prominent features with a weird purpose.    The same pattern holds just as true for big animals as it does for tiny sea creatures like zooplankton, which eat phytoplankton. "Where prey are abundant, there are not proportionally more predators," said the study, which analyzed data going back 50 years on plants and animals across 2,260 ecosystems in 1,512 distinct locations worldwide, including grasslands, lakes, forests and oceans. Rather than predators rising in number to match the available prey, predator populations are limited by the rate at which prey reproduce. And in crowded settings, prey reproduced less than they did in settings where there were fewer prey around, suggesting that competition for resources may be working to limit prey offspring. Continue Reading: http://news.discovery.com/animals/endangered-species/predator-numbers-dont-always-increase-with-prey-150906.htm

"Run Baby Run": the Rhino Crisis

According to the author, Peter Borchert, it seems almost a contradiction to talk about a crisis where rhinos are concerned because rhino populations have never been as high as they are now, with the total 2011 tally, as estimated by the IUCN standing at 20 700 white and 4 800 black. However,this scenario does not mean that rhinos are not in trouble, they are. This special issue of Africa Geographic depicts a grim picture of rhino poaching as it reveals the inner workings of the poaching syndicate and looks at what the world knows about the Vietnamese and Chinese consumers who are driving the demand. The issue is now available in the ORI Library.

"With water comes life":Peter Hancock

In this article, the author Peter Hancock discusses the positive and negative impacts of the biggest Okavango floods in living memory. He maintains that although the floods have had some positive impact on the ecosystems, they have also impacted negatively on the people who live in and around the Okavango. Bursting at the seams, the Delta has escaped from the constraints of the Buffalo Fence, expanding into human settlements and livestock areas and restoring pastures. Fish have bred prolifically in the shallow new floodplains and re-colonised previously dry lagoons. Keta Mosepele, Fisheries Biologist at ORI, commented that this development is unsurprising as the fish fauna of the Okavango Delta is geared to flood cycles. The cichlids (bream species) are able to increase quickly by reproducing at a younger stage, filling the new available habitats. However, one of the negative impacts of the floods has been on the the herbivore population. Richard Fynn, Rangeland Ecologist at ORI, maintains that since the floods have inundated the traditional alluvial floodplains, animals have been forced off to feed on new floodplains in less productive sandy areas.

2011: "Annus horribilis" for African Elephants

Although there has been no official confirmation of the volume of ivory trade in 2011 ,what is clear is that there has been a dramatic increase in the number of large-scale seizures, over 800 kg in weight. Once the records of hundreds of smaller ivory seizures are at hand, 2011 could well prove be the worst year ever for elephants in the database. This compares to six large seizures in 2010, whose total weight was just under 10 tonnes. A conservative estimate of the weight of ivory seized in the 13 largest seizures in 2011 puts the figure at more than 23 tonnes, a figure that probably represents some 2,500 elephants. The smugglers also appear to have shifted away from using air to sea freight: in early 2011, three of the large scale ivory seizures were at airports, but later in the year most were found in sea freight.

New staff member at ORI

Another new member of staff to ORI is Dr Leo Braack, who will be dealing with Entomology as well as Zoonoses and Vector-borne Diseases. Leo started off his career as a Research Scientist in the Kruger National Park of South Africa, in time becoming Head of Research, then asked by the three governments to become the first International Coordinator for what is now known as the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park. More recently he was Director of the Southern Africa office of Conservation International. Leo has a deep interest in wildlife, diseases, and also working with communities, and looks forward to working with the team at ORI.

View from the top

In conservation circles, Botswana is considered to be one of Africa's success stories. given the Government's strong conservation agenda, and particularly in the North, wildlife-based tourism is thriving. Nonetheless according to researcher Michael Chase, alarm bells are ringing and as a result of an intense aerial survey show, there is every reason to be worried. He further maintains that although current numbers of wildlife still render Northern Botswana one of Africa's great wildlife tourim destinations, the system is at high risk. For more on the article, you can read it in the latest edition of Africa Geographic in the ORI Library.

Conservation Enterprise: What Works, Where and for Whom?

Community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) recognises that local communities are often best placed to conserve natural resources, as long as they stand to gain more than they lose from doing so. This study draws on the experience of the AWF and other organisations to assess what effect conservation enterprises can have on the livelihoods of local communities and how effective such initiatives are at poverty reduction. It finds that most of these enterprises cannot by themselves take people out of poverty, but can provide less tangible benefits, such as increased investment in health and education, strengthened community organisations and greater resilience in difficult times. The report is available here.

Responses by Households to Resource Scarcity and Human–Wildlife Conflict

In conserved areas like parks and forest regions which are surrounded by dense agricultural settlements,land use and resource extraction is severely limited. Local people are forced to turn to resource pools outside these areas for survival. The authors of this article combine remote sensing techniques and household surveys to examine landscape change and the implications for securing rural livelihoods. Forests and wetlands outside the park provide important resources such as fuel wood,building poles, and water, but they are also problematic for local farmers since crop raids by primates and elephants emanate from these fragments. Their analysis shows that since 1984 forests and wetlands have decreased in size and number and those that remain have become increasingly isolated within the agricultural mosaic. Farmers have adapted to resource shortages and human–wildlife conflict in different ways.This article is available at:http://pubpages.unh.edu/~jnz6/Professional/Publications/Hartter%20et%20al.,%202010.pdf

Botswana gets it right!

On a continent with a poor record for taking care of its wildlife and habitats, Botswana is bucking the trend. This success has been built on each successive government 's awareness of the country's environmental assets and its understanding that a well-managed ecotourism industry is vital to the economy. As a result, low volume tourism remains a core tenet in the strategies that dictate the management of the wildlife concessions in the northern regions. Botswana has also taken the lead in promoting non-consumptive, photography-based ecotourism models rather than trophy hunting. This approach has since proved beyond doubt that photographic safaris are more beneficial in the long term. You can read more on this article in the latest Africa geographic in the ORI Library.

Maun Animal Welfare Society

One crucial project in Maun addresses the complex issues and situations surrounding human/domestic animal wildlife relationships. In Maun, the Maun Animal Welfare Society (MAWS) founded in 2003 began sterilising and vaccinating animals in the village, particularly those belonging to villagers who could not afford vet services. The intent was to reduce the impact of feral animals on both domestic stock and wildlife. Following the World veterinary Services's interest in MAWS, , international volunteer veterinary personnel were recruited in 2006 , and spent weeks in the field sterilising and vaccinating dogs. Since its inception MAWS has sterilised 6 500 dogs and administered more than 3000 vaccinations. Dogs also received anti-parasitic treatments. The organisation has recently extended its area of operation, now covering regions from Rakops to Shakawe and Shorobe and Khwai-all villages in close proximity to wildlife areas.

Elephants without borders-aerial survey

An aerial survey counting elephants and wildlife species in Northern Botswana was carried out by Elephants without borders, and San Diego Zoo last year. The survey which took about three months covered an area of 80 000 sq kms and the distance flown was about 42 000 kms. High density wildlife areas such as the Okavango, Linyanti, Kwando and Chobe regions, sampling coverage was about 22%, the highest survey coverage ever flown simultaneously over Northern Botswana. Information from the survey will be incorporated into population models to better understand population trends and prioritise research and management programmes relating to wildlife ecology and conservation management in Botswana. For more information on the survey visit the Elephants Without Borders site.

Leading by example-Elephants without borders Community Project

Elephants Without Borders has shifted its focus from wildlife research to a community outreach programme that aims to mitigate human/elephant conflict in Northern Botswana. The elephant Conservation and Community Outreach Farming Project focuses on low-cost, sustainable human/elephant mitigation measures in a now thriving pilot project at Kachikau Tribal Lands in the Chobe enclave in Northern Botswana, a place where human/elephant conflict has been on the rise as human settlemets with their accompanying agricultural fields and livestock expand. The project which is primarily funded by the Ministry of Wildlife, Environment and Tourism, Department of Wildlife and National Parks , the San Diego Zoo, will educate and sensitise farmers to the complexities of human/elephant conflict, the need to stop cutting trees to create farmland, the urgency of habitat conservation and ways to deter elephants from entering their fields. The article is available in the ORI Library.

Human/wildlife conflict in Botswana

In the article, the author, Linda Pfotenhauer states that there is an alarming, escalating human-wildlife conflict now taking place in many parts of Botswana.With the increasing populations and the accompanying encroachment of their settlements, cattle posts and farmlands on wildlife habitat, animals find themselves entrenched and in some cases electrocuted by fences meant to keep them out. Wildlife researchers working in northern and other areas of Botswana hold similar views about human-wildlife conflict in the country. These include the NGO, Elephants without Borders, and DWNP officers in Chobe. Elephants, followed by buffaloes have been most involved in the conflict especially within the Kasane/Kazungula development area. Elephants go into the townships at night and feed on the people's fruits and plants and end up being shot and killed by Kasane residents. A July 2010 DWNP report indicates that 23 elephants were killed within the first half of 2010 in defense of property or human lives. Other species killed were buffalo (21), lion (3), leopard (2), hippo (3), warthog (4) and baboon (3).

Running with the dogs

According to his article, "Running with the dogs" in Africa Geographic, the author, Grant Atkinson maintains that 2010 has been a good year for African wild dogs in some of the most northern of Botswana’s wildlife areas where three different packs raised pups in the Linyanti and Selinda concessions. During the denning period, their movements become somewhat restricted and even after the new pups come out of the den, the packs seldom move too far each day. Once the pups are a few months older though, the dog packs range far and wide. A few individual dogs were fitted with tracking collars in 2009, and these collars have provided some very interesting results already. For more on the story visit the Africa Geographic website.

WASHCost Working Paper : Assessing Sanitation Service Levels

The first section of this paper outlines the scope and purpose of this Working Paper. Section two reviews sanitation levels in current use and proposes indicators of a sustainable sanitation service as a basis for the WASHCost sanitation levels. Section three presents sanitation service level norms and criteria in WASHCost countries. Section four sets out the proposed WASHCost sanitation service levels. Section five summarises the steps towards the general sanitation levels and outlines the the next steps for testing and refining country based sanitation ladders. Section six discusses the importance of hygiene services and makes suggestions for the development of a hygiene service assessment ladder. Full report available on http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/lib.nsf/db900sid/ASAZ-89WGD6/$file/IRCWatSan_Sep2010.pdf?openelement

Biodiversity and Wildlife

The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), had a high level meeting on 22 September 2010, as a contribution to the International Year of Biodiversity. Furthermore, thematic panels were held on the way forward in achieving the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and the internationally agreed biodiversity goals and targets. Participants highlighted, among others: the need for political momentum and flexibility in the discussions on a draft protocol on access and benefit-sharing (ABS); the opportunity to adopt an ambitious post-2010 strategic plan; and the importance of creating an intergovernmental science-policy platform on biodiversity and ecosystem services.It was again noted that conserving the planet’s species and habitats was central to sustainable development and the Millennium Development Goals.View the full document at: (http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2010/ga10992.doc.htm; http://www.un.org/en/ga/65/meetings/biodiversity.shtml).