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Conference on Wildlife Conservation and Management 2007: Research Imperatives

April 2007

Nairobi, Kenya

Concept Paper

Purpose

The purpose of the Conference on Wildlife Conservation Management, 2007: Research Imperatives for Biodiversity Conservation Management is to enhance the capacity of Kenya in wildlife conservation and management.

This would enlighten on possible solutions to biodiversity challenges in the country based on experiences elsewhere. Therefore the conference is an experiences sharing and networking initiative for wildlife managers, scholars and researchers, policy makers, donors, local communities and ranchers among other stakeholders.

Theme
The main theme of the conference is large-scale conservation areas approach and the sub themes are as follows:

i) National status of biodiversity and mapping
ii) Landscape and seascape approach
iii) Fenced protected areas (Parks & Reserves)
iv) Endangered species management
v) Communities involvement
vi) Cross-cutting issues: conventions, information and knowledge management

Objectives
The main objective of this conference is to enhance biodiversity conservation and management research among stakeholders through sharing of experiences and networking in eastern, southern and central Africa Regions. The specific objectives are as follows:

  • Solicit information inputs on research and science that would lead wildlife conservation and management in Kenya
  • Support wildlife policy and legislation formulation.
  • Enhance effectiveness and efficiency of KWS research through partnerships and collaborations.

Expected results

  • Invigorated wildlife conservation and sustainable development that is research driven;
  • Statement on how previous trends of wildlife and wildlife habitats declines should be arrested
  • Recommendations from the conference that are backed up by scientific research information and targeting the wildlife policy makers at country (Kenya), East African regional levels and international level based on biodiversity related multilateral agreements.
  • Helping in conservation management of wildlife in the country within the developed systems (landscapes and PAs) applying research and science along the systems continuum.
  • Enhanced networking, collaborations and partnerships;
  • Greater awareness of wildlife conservation and edited publication of presentation which will be a recommended handbook of modern conservation and management in Kenya

Participating countries

Eastern Africa Region (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Sudan, Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea); Other African countries Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, DRC & Congo Brazzaville, South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Ghana, Senegal and Cameroon.

Conceptual background

Literature review on case studies from many regions of the world illustrates the importance of a protected landscape approach in a wide range of situations and circumstances. Several countries in Africa have adopted the approach. It is also not new in Kenya but needs to be informed by experience, research and science.

This approach has a diversity of expression since it is adaptable and is interpreted and defined by each place and its people. It does not focus solely on the protection of nature and biodiversity but rather recognizes the critical links between nature, culture, and community for long-term sustainability of conservation. The fundamental aspect of this approach is the complex meaning of the term “landscape”. In this context, landscape encompasses a mosaic of land uses from cultivated to wild lands over a large geographical area that has been shaped and influenced by human interaction over time. This multi-dimensional and dynamic definition of landscape is a foundation for the protected landscape approach. This approach confirms that stewardship depends on people and recognizes the importance of an inclusive, participatory, and democratic process for accomplishing conservation.

Justifications

  • Conclusions and recommendations of Mpala Research Centre and Kenya Wildlife Service workshop on “enhancing the role of research in wildlife conservation and management” held at Mpala Research Centre in Laikipia between 22nd and 29th October 2005. All the recommendations centers around recognizing “landscapes” as the land units providing the highest likelihood of conserving Kenya’s wildlife, through emphases on the importance of large-scale ecosystem processes.
  • Limited awareness among policy makers and the public about the severity of threats to large-scale ecosystem processes is itself a critical threat to conservation, and therefore the national economy. Therefore, make public aware of the urgent need to conserve landscapes and ecosystem processes.
  • The role of research in natural resource management (NRM) is increasingly being recognized as tool for directing sustainable natural resource management due to a myriad of problems facing wildlife mangers particularly the increasing human population around protected areas, unsustainable land use practices and the demands that are placed on the natural resources.
  • Biodiversity research collaborations, partnerships and networking are necessary inputs for wildlife conservation in endeavor to achieve sustainable development
  • Wildlife conservationists in the region require keeping abreast with new wildlife conservation concepts, technologies and global trends through sharing of information and research findings in order to keep pace, and improve wildlife management.

Proposed topics

Topics and sub-topics under each theme

  1. National status of biodiversity and mapping

Topic:

  1. Biodiversity assessments and mapping
  2. Wildlife populations, trends and distribution
  3. Ecological monitoring
  4. Biodiversity valuations
  1. Landscape and seascape approach / Open system

Topics:

  1. General landscape and seascape approaches and rationale

Sub-topics: Experiences on:

  1. African Heartland -Priority Ecosystems
  2. Landscape Species
  3. Priority eco-regions/ecosystems
  4. Hotspots
  5. Peace Parks/Transboundary
  6. The Nature Conservancy approach

The content of the presentation on experiences should include the following aspects:

  • Biodiversity mapping
  • Monitoring and evaluation of the resources in landscapes
  • Conservation and management progress – setting indicators
  • Ecosystem health
  • Community socio-economics and Biodiversity conservation. (Livestock-wildlife integration, land policy, community conservation areas and impacts to Biodiversity, Human -wildlife conflicts)
  1. Fenced Protected Areas (Parks & Reserves)/ closed system

Topics:

  1. Wildlife -community dynamics and fence effects
  2. Monitoring and evaluation of progress
  3. Management approaches- case of elephants
  4. Climate change
  5. Biodiversity mapping/inventories
  6. Ecosystem health
  7. Species diversity
  1. Endangered Species Management Approaches

Topics:

  1. Large predators management
  2. Translocations
  3. Genetics
  4. Introductions and re-introductions
  5. International conventions/protocols/treaties and species conservation management
  1. Communities involvement

Topics:

  1. Community-based wildlife conservation initiatives
  2. Social, cultural and economic dimensions
  1. Cross -cutting Issues: Information and Knowledge management

Topics:

  1. Institutional management
  2. Partnership and collaboration in information sharing
  3. Capacity building
    a. Training
    b. Resource mobilization and funding arrangements

Call for abstracts and papers

At least thirty (30) papers would be presented and fifty (50) posters displayed

Formats
To adopt the guidelines for the African Journal of Ecology

Abstract

Papers

Posters

Venue and other logistics
The venue of the conference will be in Safari park Hotel Nairobi

Time schedule

The conference will take three substantive days and will be preceded by a one day Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) regional meeting. The CITES regional meeting will discuss issues on implementation of the Convention in Africa and preparations for the fourteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP14) to be held in Hague, The Netherlands, 3-15 June 2007.

REGISTRATION:
To register, kindly click here and fill the registration form and submit to the address below:

The Director, Kenya Wildlife Service, Tel: +254 (020) 601852, Fax: +254 (020) 603792, Att: Conference Secretariat Tel. + 254 601852 Mobile: +254 (0) 721 216 597, E-mail: conference@kws.org

 

Wildlife Conference 2007 Brochure

Download the Registration Form
Contact: Head of Biodiversity and Research, E-mail: research@kws.org
© 2007 Kenya Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 40241-00100, Nairobi - Kenya, Tel: (254-020) 600800 Fax: 603792, E-mail: kws@kws.org