Additional Key Resources and Online Library

AHEAD Online Library

AHEAD has selected the free open-source online digital library Zotero (http://www.zotero.org) to house and share key scientific and policy documents and other resources. A library containing materials on policy and legislation related to animal health, disease and conservation in the region, with subsections dedicated to fencing, control of transboundary animal diseases, and climate change, now contains approximately 800 relevant scientific reports, legislative documents, polices, occasional papers and reviews.

For an e-invitation to any of the following AHEAD Zotero databases please contact Shirley Atkinson satkinson@wcs.org.

Fencing – Houses over 400 scientific reports and papers used to conduct a strategic review of the environmental, social and economic impacts of game and veterinary fencing in Africa (with particular reference to the GLTFCA and KAZA TFCA). The final report (Ferguson and Hanks, 2010) is also included and in addition is downloadable as a PDF at the bottom of http://www.wcs-ahead.org/gltfca_grants/grants.html, and consists of ten sections (52 contributing authors) dealing with the impacts of fencing, erected for various purposes, on wildlife, livestock and livelihoods.

Policy/Legislation & Control of TADs (Transboundary Animal Diseases) – Houses over 350 documents assembled to conduct an analysis of the legal and policy frameworks and regulations related to the control of transboundary animal diseases within the five member states of the KAZA TFCA. The library includes the final report (also downloadable in PDF at http://www.wcs-ahead.org/workinggrps_kaza.html), legislative documents (laws, regulations, other statutory instruments), policies, and papers related to rural development and land-use, as well as socio-economic impact of both animal diseases and conservation of natural resources. Documents are organized by country, regional or international body. In addition, an index of policy/legislation-related documents and an appendix of mini-abstracts of related documents used in preparing the report are available. Click to view or download a PDF of Animal Health Policy, Legislation and Trade in Beef in the Five Participating States of the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA-TFCA), the Index of Policy/Legislation-related documents, or the Mini-Abstracts of Policy/Legislation-related documents.

Climate Change – Houses a selection of scientific reports and papers used to conduct a review of climate change observations, impacts and model projections for the KAZA TFCA. The review (included in the library) consolidates findings from studies focused in and around the KAZA TFCA, most of which have been published in the past 5 years (2005-2010).

Recommended Videos

"Livestock Commodity Trade: The Way Forward"

Bob Mabego is a Botswana farmer who is trying to export beef to an international market. The video provides an overview of how the Commodity-Based Trade concept can improve the way countries and farmers like Bob can gain market access. The world's demand for meat and milk is increasing. How do we ensure that developing countries and their farmers access markets for these high value livestock products? Why have some regions not done so already? How can changes in international livestock trade policies also complement southern African efforts to promote transfrontier conservation areas and thus connectivity of wildlife habitat? The video has been produced by the DFID, the UK's Department for International Development, and the African Union's Directorate for Rural Economy and Agriculture. (12 min, 22 sec)

See http://blip.tv/r4d/livestock-commodity-trade-the-way-forward-995561.

"Beauty and the Beef: Achieving Compatibility Between Wildlife Conservation and Livestock Production"

African farmers living in areas with wildlife are faced with a serious dilemma: they cannot sell their healthy, free range beef to the lucrative export market. Current international trade practices dictate that they cannot protect the wildlife and, at the same time, farm their cattle in the same general area. If they want to export their beef to wealthy nations, they will have to get rid of all the wild buffalo or put up environmentally damaging veterinary fences. Robin Lyonga lives in the spectacular and largely unspoiled environment of the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area. He and his community are poor. What should he choose when trying to lift himself and his community out of poverty: protecting the wildlife and pursuing opportunities related to ecotourism and trophy hunting, or turning his back on conservation and selling his cattle into the lucrative beef export market? The truth is that there is a win-win solution: Robin Lyonga and his community can earn an income from conservation and sell their beef to the export market. All that is needed to enable this potentially bright future for millions of African cattle farmers is a small change in attitude on the part of wealthy trading nations. (21 min, 48 sec)

See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oH6wBlEZiU.

Additional References of Interest

Cumming, D. H. M. (2011) Constraints to Conservation and Development Success at the Wildlife-Livestock-Human Interface in Southern African Transfrontier Conservation Areas: A Preliminary Review, 37 pp. Downloadable PDF.

Cumming, D. H. M. (2008) Large Scale Conservation Planning and Priorities for the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area: A Report Prepared for Conservation International, 124pp. Downloadable PDF courtesy of Conservation International (CI).

Aune, K., Beier, P., Hilty, J. and Shilling, F. (2011) Assessment & Planning for Ecological Connectivity: A Practical Guide, 82 pp. Downloadable PDF courtesy of the WCS North America Program. The guide summarizes important concepts and ideas related to the science of ecological connectivity, and the translation of connectivity science into policy. It provides a summary of key points and recent literature pertinent to assessing and planning for ecological connectivity. The information is primarily aimed at the conservation practitioner who is beginning to engage in connectivity assessment or beginning to frame conservation policy / plans where connectivity is relevant. The authors provide a framework of thought, general principles and helpful concepts to consider, rather than a strict set of guidelines, and provide a set of options for consideration when assessing or planning for ecological connectivity.