Holistic Management:Zimbabwe and Kenya
Experiences
Richard Hatfield, Belinda Low, Constance Neely, Michael Peel
The Holistic Management Decision‐making Framework
HOLISTICGOAL: what are managing for?
WHOLE UNDER MANAGEMENT: what is being managed?
4 ECOSYSTEM PROCESSES: water cycle, mineral cycle, energy flow, biological communities
TOOLS FOR LAND MANAGEMENT: fire, technology, rest, grazing, animal impact
7 TEST QUESTIONS – C&E – WL – MR – GPA – $E S&U – SUST – S&C
PLANNING PROCESSES Grazing – Financial – Land ‐Monitoring
MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES
ASSUME WRONG and MONITOR
Community Decision Making
Photos: C. Leggett
Ecosystem Processes – managing the foundation
Photos: C. Leggett
Solar Energy Flow
Biological Community DynamicsWater Cycle
Nutrient Dynamics
Leggett, 20
Photo credit: C.Neely
Photo credit: C. Leggett
Photo credit: C. Leggett
Tools of the Trade
Zimbabwe ‐ Regenerating Landscapes
Photo credits: A. Savory
Water where not been before in human memory
600 mm rainfall
Namibia
AustraliaKenya
Mexico
12 Million Hectares Globally on 4 Continents
Will climate change be the ultimate incentive to do what we have meant to be doing all
along?
Holistically Planned Grazing in West Gate Community Conservancy
Belinda Low, Grevy’s Zebra Trust
• Strong community institution – West Gate Community Conservancy
• Strong historical partnership through Grevy’s zebra conservation – assured continuity and trust in implementation
Background
1. Exposure tour of 5 community members to the Africa Centre for Holistic Management (ACHM)
2. Institutional training (conservancy board, grazing committee, dedicated grazing coordinator)
3. Village‐level training for 8 settlement zones
Foundations for Implementation
Pilot Holistic Grazing Project in Conservancy Buffer Zone (1,200 ha)
Managing towards a collective vision
• Values tied to:– Livestock, Health, Education, Unity, Security, Pastoral Livelihoods
• Identified what needs to be created to support those values
• How the land must look to support the community far into the future:– Covered Soil, Perennial Grasses, Diverse & Abundant Wildlife, Abundant Water, Wild Fruits
Planned grazingRECOVERY PERIOD
Animal impact
Tools to improve the land (long‐term)
Tools to improve the land (short‐term)
Clearing unwanted “invasive” species e.g. A. reficiens
Grass planting in cleared areas
Monitoring
Initial Results (first season)
• Increase in covered soil (approx. 50% forage left + litter increase)
• Bare ground treated with animal impact
• Healthy cattle (bulls from the holistic herd fetched the highest prices during a recent livestock sale to Ol Pejeta Conservancy)
• +ve response of wildlife (especially Grevy’s zebra)
• Community commitment through exposure to the buffer zone and village‐level training
Laikipia Wildlife Forum’s Rangeland Rehabilitation & Management Programme 2008‐2010
Experiences from 3 years experience implementing the Holistic Management approach
Richard Hatfield, Programme Lead
Main appeal of the HM approach to LWF:
o ‘Triple bottom line’ approach
o Land regeneration know‐how
o User‐driven approach
RNE Royal Netherlands Embassy
Some insights from: Il Ngwesi group ranch, Laikipia Kenya
Phase I: Practicing new techniques – planned and bunched herding
Animal ImpactResults
Wildlife died in thecore conservation area(livestock‐free 14 years)‐ the drought of 2009
Phase 2: Carrying out a PlanEG Grazing planning – Il Ngwesi community
Grazingexample
Dry seasongrazingplan
Il Ngwesi
group
ranch
July‐
Oct
2008
Phase 3: Permanent application:
Back to the drawing board
Il Ngwesi –(Temporary) Holisticgoal for the community
QUALITY OF LIFE FORMS OF PRODUCTION
We are prosperous Healthy businesses
We are unified as a community Good communication & Respect
We are healthy as individuals Education, sufficient food, happy families
There is peace Respect & good relations with neighbours
There are opportunities for all people Education & good partnerships / networks
We are independent Self sufficiency
We maintain our traditional culture Value for the traditional way of life
FUTURE RESOURCE BASE
Plentiful and diverse wooded grasslands
Flowing rivers, streams and springs
Covered soils
Educated, wise and capable people as examples of progression in the region
Change in Il Ngwesi governance structure: before and after adopting the HM approach
TRUST BOARD
Wildlife
GROUP RANCH COMMITTEE
Village Village Village Village Village Village Forum Forum Forum Forum Forum Forum
ConservationBuffer Zone
ConservationCore Zone
Lodge
GROUP RANCH COMMITTEE
MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE TRUST BOARD
ConservationCore Zone
LodgeConservationBuffer Zone Water Health Education Grazing
Phase 4: Building village‐based management
Need: capacity built:
• Compotence• Confidence• Committment
Needs to be focused on recognised dynamics of social transformation• Emotional dimension• Relational dimension• Cognitive dimension
Primary ‘success factors’ experienced
• Strong community institutions
• Strong historical partnerships
• Continuity of engagement
• Emphasis on the process of community engagement and the process of social transformation
• Holisticgoal & knowledge to understand/read the land are extremely powerful
Parting Shot – how large can a herd be? An image from Chile..courtesy: Jose Manual Gortazar Martinez, Ovitec
Thank You
Richard Hatfield, Belinda Low, Constance Neely, Michael Peel