Border management:  

Managing borders to increase wildlife production and CBNRM revenues

National park borders provide critical entry points for animals to move into game management areas (GMA's).  Without access to natural restocking from park populations, certain wildlife species in the GMA can become vulnerable to extinction if local populations are over-hunted or poached out.  The cost of replacing lost species is prohibitively expensive.  It is therefore far more economical to develop community understanding of the importance of GMA borders with national parks as a way to increase rates of wildlife migrations into the GMA.  The College has undertaken extensive research on this topic and has helped communities to use maps and identify important crossing points as sites that need special protection  from unplanned settlements or land use activities that disturb free movements by wildlife.

GMA boundaries that border open areas inhabited by settlements provide entry points to unwelcome people who may poach, burn, over-fish, or otherwise degrade natural resources and thus  reduce the long-term potential for earning revenues by local residents.  Such boundaries represent major challenges for local authorities to police.  Local knowledge of the various footpaths or routes used by unwelcome visitors are generally known by local residents.  Again, the College is helping CRBs and their VAGs to develop appropriate management strategies for addressing this problem.   The use of maps and relying on local knowledge are key to helping develop workable solutions.  What is clear from initial efforts by the College is that community management can offer low cost and effective solutions to these problems provided community leadership involves community members in the process. 

Below is an example of how border management is being addressed in Chikwa GMA:

KEY Lesson:  Communities leadership need to develop an effective way to safeguard wildlife movements from national parks and to reduce incursions by unwanted visitors.  Such plans when successfully implemented will result in increased wildlife production and increased revenue growth for local residents.