“We cannot run out of natural resources – if we run out of it we would be dead”. Exploring the potential impact of local beliefs on biodiversity conservation management

Abstract

Working with people is a priority for SANParks' (www.SANParks.co.za). In the last few years SANParks have, with statements such as these, made a public commitment to include local communities as well as the local knowledge they have, in their efforts in biodiversity conservation and the management of its parks. This commitment has been met with approval from many corners, not the least the local communities themselves. Yet one has to be pragmatic and question what this can practically mean for the management of National Parks. In an effort to answer this question this paper explores what we (as scientists and conservationists) can learn from rural communities and their beliefs around nature and biodiversity that can inform biodiversity conservation and the management of National Parks. Two recent projects by the CSIR with rural communities, one in the in the Venda region in Limpopo Province (EU funded) and the other in the Hazyview region in Mpumalanga Province (WRC funded) shows that beliefs systems of people can and do play a role in the way in which people not only understand but also behave in relation to concepts such as 'nature', the 'natural environment' and 'biodiversity'. Some questions that this paper explores are: To what extent do local beliefs influence perceptions of finite resources? How may cultural practice influence the way in which people use and value natural resources? And, in what way can research on local beliefs with regard to 'nature', the 'natural environment' and 'biodiversity' be better incorporated in current thought on protected area management. This paper contends that more research on local people's beliefs in relation to biodiversity and natural environment is needed not only for scientific understanding but more importantly for mutually agreeable solutions to the management challenges facing National Parks in South Africa today