Capacity building for conservation: problems and potential solutions for sub-Saharan Africa

O'Connell, Mark ORCID: 0000-0003-3402-8880 (2019) Capacity building for conservation: problems and potential solutions for sub-Saharan Africa. Oryx - The International Journal of Conservation, 53 (2). pp. 273-283. doi:10.1017/S0030605317000291

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Abstract

To achieve their conservation goals individuals, communities and organizations need to acquire a diversity of skills, knowledge and information (i.e. capacity). Despite current efforts to build and maintain appropriate levels of conservation capacity, it has been recognized that there will need to be a significant scaling-up of these activities in sub-Saharan Africa. This is because of the rapid increase in the number and extent of environmental problems in the region. We present a range of socio-economic contexts relevant to four key areas of African conservation capacity building: protected area management, community engagement, effective leadership, and professional e-learning. Under these core themes, 39 specific recommendations are presented. These were derived from multi-stakeholder workshop discussions at an international conference held in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2015. At the meeting 185 delegates (practitioners, scientists, community groups and government agencies) represented 105 organizations from 24 African nations and eight non-African nations. The 39 recommendations constituted six broad types of suggested action: (1) the development of new methods, (2) the provision of capacity building resources (e.g. information or data), (3) the communication of ideas or examples of successful initiatives, (4) the implementation of new research or gap analyses, (5) the establishment of new structures within and between organizations, and (6) the development of new partnerships. A number of cross-cutting issues also emerged from the discussions: the need for a greater sense of urgency in developing capacity building activities; the need to develop novel capacity building methodologies; and the need to move away from one-size-fits-all approaches.

Item Type:	Article
Article Type:	Article
Additional Information:	This article has been published in a revised form in Oryx https://doi.org/10.1017/S0030605317000291. This version is free to view and download for private research and study only. Not for re-distribution, re-sale or use in derivative works. © Fauna & Flora International.
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Africa; Capacity building; Community engagement; E-learning; Leadership; Protected area management
Subjects:	G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GE Environmental Sciences Q Science > QH Natural history > QH301 Biology
Divisions:	Schools and Research Institutes > School of Education and Science
Research Priority Areas:	Place, Environment and Community
Depositing User:	Mark O'Connell
Date Deposited:	07 Sep 2017 16:06
Last Modified:	31 Aug 2023 08:58
URI:	https://eprints.glos.ac.uk/id/eprint/4908

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