Strategic Opportunism: What Works in Africa: Twelve Fundamentals for Conservation Success (SpringerBriefs in Environmental Science)

This open access book. provides a synthesis of six projects, across ten countries, each of which have been sustained for two or more decades, and which illustrate how success can be achieved regardless of systems of governance, of a nation’s wealth, or of culture. Detailed narratives are presented on the key personalities that have conceived, conducted and concluded long-term projects: personal stories of vision, failure, frustration and persistence ultimately leading to success. The case studies vary widely in their geography and goals. The single-handed commitment to re-discover the last surviving populations of Giant Sable in the miombo woodlands of central Angola, through the capture, translocation and establishment of robust breeding herds of this magnificent antelope, contrasts with the massively funded, three-decade programme with over one hundred participants that reversed the annual loss to predation by feral cats of 455 000 seabirds from a sub-Antarctic island. Similarly, the foresight of Zimbabwean and Namibian ecologists to place rural communities at the centre of conservation programmes by giving value to wildlife populations and benefits to local people, transformed a land degradation problem to a socio-ecological solution. Across ten countries, building capacity in botanical collection, documentation and herbarium management expanded into a global project to place the knowledge base of Africa’s flora onto an electronic data system accessible to researchers and conservation planners in even the most remote corners of the continent. None of these projects enjoyed immediate results. Each required leadership skills that combined vision, a generosity of spirit, fortuitous timing and the exploitation of unexpected opportunities. Preface Acknowledgements Contents About the Author List of Acronyms Part l: Background Chapter 1: Strategic Opportunism: A Pragmatic Approach to Conservation in Africa Reference Chapter 2: Seizing the Moment While Imagining the Future References Part ll: Strategic Opportunism in Action: Models of Success Chapter 3: Angolan Giant Sable: Rediscovery, Rescue and Recovery 3.1 The Rise and Fall of a Narrow Endemic 3.2 Pursuit and Re-discovery 3.3 Capture and Relocation 3.4 Lessons Learned References Chapter 4: Marion Island: Birds, Cats, Mice and Men 4.1 Introduction – Africa’s Sub-Antarctic Wilderness 4.2 An Emerging Invasion Crisis 4.3 A Science-Driven Approach to Eliminating an Aggressive Invasive Species 4.4 Lessons Learned 4.5 Postscript: When the Cat’s Away, the Mice Can Prey References Chapter 5: Gorongosa National Park: Wilderness, War and Wildlife Recovery 5.1 This Once Was an Eden 5.2 Serendipity and Good Timing 5.3 Winds of Change: Cyclones and Peace 5.4 The Socio-Ecological-Science System 5.5 Enter the Nay-Sayers 5.6 Gorongosa as a ‘Human Development Engine’ 5.7 Lessons Learned References Chapter 6: Overcoming the Taxonomic Impediment: SABONET and the African Plants Initiative 6.1 The Long Walk to the GEF 6.2 The SABONET Model: Learning by Doing 6.3 Lessons Learned from SABONET 6.4 Taxonomy on the Fast Track: The African Plants Initiative 6.5 The African Plants Initiative Tradition Expands to Latin America and Australasia 6.6 Lesson Learned from the African Plants Initiative References Chapter 7: Building Biodiversity Knowledge: Mobilising Citizen Science 7.1 The Development of a Conservation Science Ethos 7.2 How Did this Happy State of Biodiversity Conservation Arise? 7.3 The Emergence of Cooperative Approaches to Conservation Science 7.4 Lessons Learned from the Cooperative Scientific Programmes 7.5 The Post-1990 Years – The Democracy Dividend 7.6 The Southern African Bird Atlas Project: The Evolution of Citizen Science in Southern Africa 7.7 Threatened Plants: A Model for the Red Listing of Endangered Species 7.8 CREW: Custodians of Rare and Endangered Wildflowers References Chapter 8: Bridging the Gap: Community Conservancies in Namibia and Zimbabwe 8.1 Introduction: The Parallel Development of Community Based Natural Resource Management in Southern Africa 8.2 Passion, Vision and Strategy – Taking the Long View in Namibia 8.3 Changing Tides: Independence and Innovation 8.4 From Vision to Reality – Community Conservation in Namibia 8.5 CAMPFIRE: Has the CBNRM Gold Standard Lost Its Glitter? 8.6 The Lowveld Conservancies: Different Approaches Produce Different Outcomes 8.7 Lessons Learned: Good Governance, CBNRM’s Achilles’ Heel References Part lll: Conclusions: Lessons Learned on the Ground Chapter 9: Twelve Fundamentals for Conservation Success 9.1 Identify an Urgent and Existential Crisis 9.2 Present an Inspiring Vision, Clear Goals and Realistic Strategies 9.3 Develop Networks of Synergistic Collaboration 9.4 Communicate Effectively with All Stakeholders 9.5 Synthesise Existing or Create New Biodiversity Knowledge and Understanding 9.6 Secure Institutional Support and Develop Project Implementation Capacity 9.7 Promote Champions and Nurture Strategic Leadership Talents 9.8 Create and Capitalise on Quick Wins: Success Breeds Success 9.9 Recognise the Critical Importance of Good Governance 9.10 Embrace the Unexpected Opportunities of Serendipity, Good Luck and Good Timing 9.11 Seize the Political Moment of Changes in Governance 9.12 Develop Creative Financing Strategies References Chapter 10: Synopsis: Strategic Opportunism – Vision, Passion and Pragmatism Index