Providing scientifically credible technical services in protected areas
Full Solution
Namibia trackers elders teaching youth
Friedrich Alpers
The role of traditional knowledge and application of diverse knowledge systems for wildlife management is demonstrated by Indigenous and local trackers and rangers e.g. in Bwabwata National Park in north east Namibia. The indigenous trackers and rangers are using a rigorous, culturally appropriate methodology for assessment and certification of tracking skills and competence. This knowledge is applied in wildlife monitoring and documenting scientific observations.
Last update: 05 Oct 2020
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Context
Challenges addressed
recognition of traditional knowledge and use of scientific services
Location
Bwabwata National Park, Namibia
East and South Africa
Process
Summary of the process
P3DM builds trusting relationships between indigenous s peoples, local communities, and external actors including parks managers, NGOs, scientists and government. Issues of tensions related to costs and benefits, management effectiveness, governance, human-wildlife conflict, access to scarce resources, cultural heritage management and designing appropriate tourism are all addressed by the methodology. Training materials including videos are all available for P3DM as well as other participatory GIT tools. There is a global practitioner community and rapid access to solutions, advise and materials.
Building Blocks
Establishing tracker and trailing assessment system
The innovation involves using an assessment methodology which is free from literacy-based biases in determining the relative levels of expertise amongst trackers in being able to identify animal spoor, trail wildlife,and related skills associated with wildlife behavioural knowledge, game counting, disease monitoring, anti-poaching activity and wild plant inventories. The skills are assessed against an ecosystem specific competency test and trackers are certified at four different levels of competence. The assessment is scientifically credible and internationally certified for standardization. The best trackers are then employed to train younger trackers and later to assess them.
Enabling factors
Namibia has a strong legislative framework for co-management and shared benefits in protected areas. However it does not yet have a nnational system of traditional skills and competence testing that removes educational biases from technical assessments. Traditional knowledge is still strong in the older San generations. The Namibian government has allowed San communities to stay in the national park and be employed as trackers and rangers based on their ability to apply valuable traditional knowledge in conservation.
Lesson learned
The methodology focusses on formalizing recognition of real skills and knowledge, rather than imposing literacy or educational barriers which would exclude many indigenous peoples in the region. Africa is excluding most of its endongenous science knowledge from conservation due to issues of bias regarding school qualifications rather than biodiversity knowledge and technical competencies. Elders have been empowered as certified trackers and trainers, while young people enjoy the job opportunities and exposure to computers andnew technology opportunities. The assessment is modified to suit the specifics of the ecosystem and local biodiversity, rather than being a generic national skill set. IPACC continues to work with KPA and IRDNC to promote a national standards and certification process so that this model can be taken to national and regional scales.
Indigenous-run tracker training school
The community is working to set up an indigenous-run tracker training school which would service Namibia and potentially also neighbouring Botswana. Due to low literacy levels in the region, indigenous peoples were previously kept out of formal conservation employment or underpaid for their sophisticated skills. Though anchored in Khwe traditional knowledge, the training and assessment methodology is based on international standards and is accessible to people from any background who have sufficient biodiversity and faunal / floral knowledge of a specific ecosystem. Research thus far indicates a strong demand for certified trackers by both government and private sector for conservation, anti-poaching and natural resource management.
Enabling factors
The Khwe community has the first internationally certified trackers and assessors able to work with low literacy communities. Namibia has a national framework of Community Conservancies where trackers can be employed for wildlife conservation purposes. The Namibian government is open to setting national qualifications standards but this still needs to be developed independently and proposed to the national government.
Lesson learned
Tracker assessment and certification helps address the bias and valorizes knowledge held in the community.Training school has been slowed down by resource constraints and the absence of a national capacity building framework to support decentralized training and certification for trackers and traditional knowledge holders.
Training in the use of GPS-capacity and IT data-base
In parallel with the formalization of the tracker skills and competence assessment, trackers learn to use Cyber tracker handheld computer / GPS technology. This allows important data on biodiversity trends and density, to be systematically recorded and algorithmic analyses provide rapid insight into conservation priorities, including issues of climate change, disease vectors and anti-poaching strategies.
Enabling factors
Cybertracker technology was invented in Southern Africa and is specifically designed to support indigenous and local communitytrackers. The programming was influenced by the sophisticated knowledge of San trackers and then adapted to IT functionality. Trackers with little or no formal schooling can easily learn to use the technology. Cybertracker allows tracker observations to rapidly integrate detailed local knowledge and observations into scientific data diachronic and synchronic analysis
Lesson learned
Introducing IT technology allows a better bridge between traditional knowledge and data management relevant to conservation goals. IT also validates traditional knowledge expertise and reduces the literacy biases. Young people are highly motivated to learn to use new technologies, encouraging intergenerational knowledge transmission and a virtuous learning cycle.
Resources
Use of geospatial technologies
In cooperation with the EU-ACP Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA, African indigenous peoples are experimenting with geospatial technologies such as participatory 3D modeling (P3DM), and low-tech, participatory methodologies such as eco-cultural mapping. These detailed and geo-referenced models provide a bridge between oral cultures and IT or other media for understanding indigenous and local knowledge of landscape, seascapes and governance models. The methodologies can be applied for education, planning, heritage management, migratory information, conflict resolution and planning for climate change impacts and resilience building.
Enabling factors
P3DM is a relatively inexpensive methodology and that can be easily integrated into GIS systems for further usage. The participatory approach ensures that local knowledge and values drive the mapping / modeling, while the application is relevant at different scales of governance and decision-making. Geo-referencing allows the modeling to be recognizable to a wide range of different users, from non-literate expert knowledge holders to government officials, parks managers and landscape planners.
Lesson learned
Participatory methodologies are empowering to local communities. They recognise the complexity and sophistication of their knowledge, even if they may otherwise feel they have low educational backgrounds. Outsiders, notably government officials and conservationists see the detail and sophistication of the knowledge systems which helps address historic biases and marginalization. The maps are physical and can be used for a wide range of applications, including new challenges around climate impacts. If applied properly, the P3DM can also offset gender-biases in knowledge management and decision-making.
Impacts
The programme has generated sustainable employment for both Khwe (a San ethnic group of the region) men and women, pride in traditional knowledge, and assisted in conservation in Bwabwata National Park. It has reinforced indigenous rights to land tenure by placing indigenous peoples in significant conservation rolesin their own territory. Formal assessment and recognition of traditional knowledge and competency, (consisting of rigorous assessment, grading, certification and training in new technology) unlocks a vast store of previously unavailable knowledge, data collection capacity, and innovative approaches to problem solving. At the same time issues of rural poverty and skills deficits are addressed. The use of traditional knowledge in climate data collections, monitoring, management and appropriate responses is particularly important for countries where long time series of traditional knowledge exist.
Beneficiaries
Khwe communities in and around the national park
Connect with contributors
Other contributors
Friedrich Alpers
Indigenous Peoples of Africa Coordinating Committee
Alfred Chedau
Indigenous Peoples of Africa Coordinating Committee
