Outline of papers for the Futures Dialogue Session on Poverty, Conservation and
Land Reform
Introduction
The titles of the introduction to the workshop and the technical presentations which follow
have been developed to both challenge the “conventional wisdom” of the participants and to
stimulate debate as to the future development of conservation and community based natural
resource management programs in southern Africa. To achieve these objectives the
presentations will need to be both descriptive and analytical.
Each presentation is expected to last between 20 and 30 minutes, with the remainder of the
hour being allocated towards questions. Those presenting will be expected to send an
abstract of their papers to the workshop organisers before the workshop and bring a draft
paper to the workshop.
Keynote: Poverty, Conservation and Land Reform: Breaking the mould in
Southern Africa
Presenter: Dr. James Murombedzi (Discussant Dr. Steve Collins)
Rationale: Establishing the poverty, conservation and land reform linkages
Content: The paper should look at the theoretical and practical linkages of poverty,
conservation and land reform. The starting point could be a description of the socio-political
and economic relevance of land reform to environmental management and poverty
reduction. It could then examine the extent to which conservation, poverty and land reform
can co-exist and the trade-offs. The author/s will probably need to use selected case study
material to justify assertions.
B. Technical presentations
2. Poverty, Conservation and Land Reform: Addressing the gap between ‘nice
policies’ and ‘poor implementation.’
Presenter: Dr. Hector Magome - (Discussant Masego Madzwamuse)
Rational: Establish how poverty reduction, land reform and conservation strategies of the
government have played out in practice. Can these discourses co-exist?
Content: The paper could use the examples of tenure reform and restitution in South Africa.
The paper should examine the gaps between policy pronouncements and what is actually
happening on the ground and suggest ways of reducing the gap. The paper could also
examine the major policy drivers of poverty reduction agenda in South Africa the challenges
and opportunities created by land reform to conservation and poverty reduction. What
works/ed and what does/did not and why (process, practice…); as well as principal lessons
for the region
3. Delivering on Durban: the challenge for the conservation community
Presenter/s: Saliem Fakir (Discussant: Andile Mgcxitama / Thembela Kepe)
Rational: The 5th World Parks Congress set significant challenges for the conservation
Maxwell Gomera
community against which progress will be measured over the next ten years. Two particular
issues, amongst many others that need to be closely monitored, are the extent to which
conservation practices contribute towards land reform and poverty alleviation.
Content: This presentation is based on an analysis of the outcomes of the WPC. If protected
areas are to contribute towards poverty reduction and land reform in Southern Africa,
confronting the challenges of delivering on these outcomes and clarifying the role of the
conservation community is an important step in the wake of the Durban WPC. This
presentation examines these challenges, and suggests a way forward for conservation
organizations.
The presentation could also include commentary on the challenges posed by management of
protected areas and their role in both access to resources for local communities as well as
generation of wealth (at micro and macro levels) and still achieve the core objective –
conservation.
Maxwell Gomera