Rehabilitation techniques in southern Kalahari - Vegetative and Management
(South Africa)
Description
Shared interest by Mier Management Council and Provincial Department of Agriculture
Aims / objectives: Initially a combined effort by Department of Agriculture and Mier Management Council to combat degradation of game camps. Directed towards a male dominated farming community, also involving a few females (ages ranging from middle to old age). An objective was to educate towards awareness to degradation and techniques involving the rehabilitation of these areas and the prevention of getting to this state. Also including methods which prevent returning to this state. Initially using farmer???s days - education. Research came later, focussing on understanding the ecology of the area and then to concentrate on rehabilitation techniques. This was later introduced in farmer???s days, school education and education of management council. Stages of implementation: 1) Realisation by management council that veld was degraded. 2) Department of Agriculture requested to assist ??¡§ in the form of trial and error (i.e. resting camps, poisoning of shrubs). 3) Resting of camps showed no improvement, so Department requested assistance from Agricultural Research Council (Range and Forage Institute) to gain understanding of ecology of area. 4) Once understanding gained and techniques developed, education in the form of farmer???s days, school days and management council. Role of participants: 1) Nature Conservation: Initially involved in game number management. 2) Department of Agriculture: Advisory capacity management of techniques. 3) ARC - Research and advisory. 4) Management council ??¡§ labour control. 5) Community - involved through council in decision-making ??¡§ also jobs provided through labour.
Location
Location: Northern Cape, South Africa
Geo-reference of selected sites
Initiation date: 1988
Year of termination: n.a.
Type of Approach
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traditional/ indigenous
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recent local initiative/ innovative
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project/ programme based
Bush packing, dunes in the Kalahari Different techniques of bush backing.
Grass on dunes and in streets, no bushes – good condition.
Approach aims and enabling environment
Main aims / objectives of the approach
The Approach focused mainly on SLM with other activities (Income generation for tax subsidy in the community, job creation for males in the community, land care, development of eco-tourism, collaboration with local leadership)
Education ??¡§ in techniques to combat desertification, also in prevention of degradation Financial empowerment Management techniques
The SLM Approach addressed the following problems: Finance, education (very little education with regards to labours)
Conditions enabling the implementation of the Technology/ ies applied under the Approach
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Legal framework (land tenure, land and water use rights): The existing land ownership, land use rights / water rights moderately helped the approach implementation: Hinder: moderate Farm-government won???t allow farmers to own land so attitude can be negative. Community reaps benefits from game farms.
Conditions hindering the implementation of the Technology/ ies applied under the Approach
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Availability/ access to financial resources and services: Very poor community
Treatment through the SLM Approach: Landcare (money)
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Institutional setting: Financial - no money in Institute and Department
Treatment through the SLM Approach: Money
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Other: Political: leads to mistrust and uneasiness w.r.t. Money
Treatment through the SLM Approach: Work on the problem at hand and ignore politics
Participation and roles of stakeholders involved
Stakeholders involved in the Approach and their roles
| What stakeholders / implementing bodies were involved in the Approach? |
Specify stakeholders |
Describe roles of stakeholders |
| local land users/ local communities |
Working land users were mainly men (Women did not work on project because of long distance to work). |
Labour, management.
Labour work far too heavy for women (injuries have occurred). Women are directed towards cultivation techniques of Harpagophytum procumbens or basic homeskills (sewing etc.) Males - chopping & packing Rhigozum on dunes (degraded dunes). |
| teachers/ school children/ students |
|
|
| NGO |
|
Research, management, education |
| national government (planners, decision-makers) |
|
Funding |
Involvement of local land users/ local communities in the different phases of the Approach
none
passive
external support
interactive
self-mobilization
initiation/ motivation
workshops/seminars, public meetings; Discussions to indicate where researchers see the project going and how the land users would like to see it go.
planning
workshops/seminars, public meetings; Field workshops & meetings-discuss how and where the project should be carried out.
implementation
responsibility for major steps; Labour used for bushpacking responsibility for LandCare committee for salaries and labour.
monitoring/ evaluation
public meetings,measurements/observations, reporting, workshop/seminars; Monitoring of project is on going by researchers with help of few labours. Congresses/workshops are used to describe process & public meetings allow community to be informed.
Research
on-station; On-farm & on-station is ongoing. Lab work for information on germination processes.
Decision-making on the selection of SLM Technology
Decisions were taken by
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land users alone (self-initiative)
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mainly land users, supported by SLM specialists
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all relevant actors, as part of a participatory approach
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mainly SLM specialists, following consultation with land users
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SLM specialists alone
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politicians/ leaders
Decisions were made based on
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evaluation of well-documented SLM knowledge (evidence-based decision-making)
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research findings
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personal experience and opinions (undocumented)
Technical support, capacity building, and knowledge management
The following activities or services have been part of the approach
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Capacity building/ training
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Advisory service
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Institution strengthening (organizational development)
-
Monitoring and evaluation
-
Research
Capacity building/ training
Training was provided to the following stakeholders
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land users
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field staff/ advisers
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school children/students, planners, politicians/decision makers
Form of training
-
on-the-job
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farmer-to-farmer
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demonstration areas
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public meetings
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courses
Subjects covered
Rehabilitation ecological processes, cultivation, preventative agriculture
Advisory service
Advisory service was provided
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on land users' fields
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at permanent centres
Name of method used for advisory service: Not formal approach; Key elements: Education, Labour, Development; 1) Advisory service was carried out through: government's existing extension system Extension staff: mainly government employees 3) Target groups for extension: land users, school children/students; Activities: Bushpacking techniques, education; Education
Advisory service is inadequate to ensure the continuation of land conservation activities; The project is still in first phase - next phase will include female portion of community.
Institution strengthening
Institutions have been strengthened / established
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no
-
yes, a little
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yes, moderately
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yes, greatly
Describe institution, roles and responsibilities, members, etc.
Type of support
-
financial
-
capacity building/ training
-
equipment
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advise
Further details
Monitoring and evaluation
bio-physical aspects were regular monitored through measurements
technical aspects were ad hoc monitored through observations
socio-cultural aspects were ad hoc monitored hrough observations
economic / production aspects were regular monitored through measurements
area treated aspects were regular monitored through measurements
no. of land users involved aspects were ad hoc monitored through observations
management of Approach aspects were ad hoc monitored through observations
There were few changes in the Approach as a result of monitoring and evaluation: Packing designs of Rhigozum plants on bare dunes. The less expensive, most efficient design was chosen.
Research
Research treated the following topics
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sociology
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economics / marketing
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ecology
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technology
Rehabilitation techniques must fall within the capabilities and finance of the community.
Research was carried out on-farm
Financing and external material support
Annual budget in USD for the SLM component
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< 2,000
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2,000-10,000
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10,000-100,000
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100,000-1,000,000
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> 1,000,000
Precise annual budget: n.a.
Approach costs were met by the following donors: government (national): 80.0%; local community / land user(s) (-): 20.0%
The following services or incentives have been provided to land users
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Financial/ material support provided to land users
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Subsidies for specific inputs
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Credit
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Other incentives or instruments
Financial/ material support provided to land users
partly financed
fully financed
equipment: machinery: tools
agricultural: seeds: fertilizers
Labour by land users was
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voluntary
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food-for-work
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paid in cash
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rewarded with other material support
Impact analysis and concluding statements
Impacts of the Approach
No
Yes, little
Yes, moderately
Yes, greatly
Did the Approach help land users to implement and maintain SLM Technologies?
Stabilisation of dunes, greater vegetation on dunes.
Did the Approach improve issues of land tenure/ user rights that hindered implementation of SLM Technologies?
Farmers realised the simplicity of rehabilitation.
The problem is likely to be overcome in the near future. Attitudes would change if government allowed ownership of land.
Did other land users / projects adopt the Approach?
South Africa railways - lines which cut through dune systems
Main motivation of land users to implement SLM
Sustainability of Approach activities
Can the land users sustain what hat been implemented through the Approach (without external support)?
Conclusions and lessons learnt
Strengths: land user's view
Strengths: compiler’s or other key resource person’s view
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Community participation (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: Greater responsibility to community)
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Healthy integration of Scientists & Community action (How to sustain/ enhance this strength: Good communication (Scientists & Community))
Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks: land user's viewhow to overcome
Weaknesses/ disadvantages/ risks: compiler’s or other key resource person’s viewhow to overcome
-
Slow recovery of natural resources
I don't think there is a way to increase reaction time in this area
References
Date of documentation: Jan. 13, 2009
Last update: Junie 18, 2017
Resource persons
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Andre F. Van Rooyen (andrevr@kimnet.co.za) - SLM specialist
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Desmond Smith - SLM specialist
Full description in the WOCAT database
Documentation was faciliated by
Institution
- Dept. of Agriculture, Northern Cape (Dept. of Agriculture, Northern Cape) - South Africa
Project
