Managed relocation, assisted migration or assisted colonisation? June 27, 2009
Posted by Ralph Pina in : Climate Change, Conservation, Sustainability , add a comment
In a previous post I speculated about the likely effects of climate change on South Africa’s Cape Floristic Region, one of the most biodiverse floral kingdoms on the planet, and the Kruger National Park. In Kruger Park’s case I wondered what would happen if vegetation species migrated east into Mozambique, to be followed by big game. As national park and country borders are fixed in space and often do not protect whole ecosystems, if ecosystems that support the charismatic mega-fauna that attract the tourist had to move into Mozambique’s Limpopo National Park, what would the effects on tourism revenue and infrastructure in Kruger be? It was a semi-serious thought experiment, but now comes chilling news that scientists are preparing to assist species to migrate.
A walk of no ordinary proportion June 6, 2009
Posted by Ralph Pina in : Conservation, News, ecotourism , 1 comment so far
The Rim of Africa Mountain Passage is a grand idea painted large on the grand canvas of the Cape Fold Mountains. At its heart is the dream of creating biodiversity conservation corridors and tourism linkages from the northern Cederberg in South Africa’s Western Cape province, to the Outeniqua mountains of the Southern Cape. I was privileged to be one of the mega trailists who walked the inaugural first 120km stage from Pakhuis Pass to the Koue Bokkeveld mountains.
Global Warming and Community Relocation May 15, 2009
Posted by AJK in : Climate Change , 2comments
Let me first introduce myself first. Being brought up a very sheltered life I accepted everything as true. If my teacher, priest, doctor, parents, scientist or President said it was so, then it was true. Until one day I realised that some of them were lying. Some of them were blatantly lying and others were honestly believing that they were telling the truth, but just like me they were taking other people’s word as the truth; they didn’t question. To cut a long story short, after some careful nurturing a new me was born. I became a skeptic or as Ralph would say, a cynic.
Recently George Monbiot (UK Guardian) posted on his blog about the supposed (my skeptic kicking in) relocation of the people of the Carteret Islands due to global warming. This little island with its highest peak being a mere 5ft above sea-level is slowly but surely becoming a victim of global warming as the water level is annually rising; causing flooding of crops, etc.
For some this is alarming, 2,600 people after all stay on this island but for others who stay 1000 miles away in their penthouse apartments it might not be. Some extremists even view it as something we deserve.
What interests me the most is the responses you usually read
Now questions can be asked about these findings. For example:
- Living on Earth is like sitting in a tub. If water rises 5 cm in one end, it should also rise 5cm at the other end. Not so?
- Are the Carteret Islands sinking or are the waters rising?
Without a doubt global warming is a problem, but if you based your truths on muddy foundations, the truth gets judged by it and until eventually it loses integrity.
Supporters of global warming should be vigilant against people with muddy facts, because it erodes the truth their foundation is built on and there is nothing left for them to stand on. Then the truth will no longer matter and we will be lost.
Rhino threatened by hunting March 12, 2009
Posted by Ralph Pina in : Animals, Conservation, News , 4comments
The Wildlife & Environment Society of SA (WESSA) and other NGOs are questioning the Professional Hunters’ Association of South Africa (PHASA) about rhino being hunted for the horn trade by professional hunters and outfitters. Hunting for the horn trade is not allowed under CITES.
It is claimed that besides those being poached, about 300 have been shot for the trade. Should hunting for the trade not cease, the NGOs will approach CITES to upgrade rhino to Schedule 1, effectively banning legal hunting of the species.
Personally, I cannot get my head around why anyone would want to shoot a rhino - or any animal for sport for that matter. Although hunting proponents will often trumpet the sport’s “indispensable” contribution to the financing of conservation, this practice flies in the face of all such claims. It is a despicable practice and is driven by greed.
WESSA also states that rhino poached in Zimbabwe are being “laundered” by South African landowners and outfitters.
EcoAfrica does not promote hunting. But do note that there is a hunting operation that uses our name, despite it being a registered trademark. I suppose that speaks volumes for the ethics involved. We never have, and never will have anything to do with hunting.
Rhino threat - again January 25, 2009
Posted by Ralph Pina in : Animals, Conservation , 3comments
Distressing news from the land of Ian Player and all those who contributed to one of Africa’s great conservation success stories - the operation to save the last southern race of white rhino in the 1950s and 1960s. South Africa’s rhino are a target once more with more than 100 having fallen to the poacher’s rifle in 2008, an increase of 1000% on 2007.
White rhino in Kruger National Park, South Africa
Of white rhinos and white lions December 14, 2008
Posted by Ralph Pina in : Animals, Conservation, Safari, Tourism, ecotourism , add a comment
Marion, my partner, is a child of the Little Karoo, a collection of beautiful, 
semi-arid valleys and mountains sandwiched between the Langeberg range that delineates the northern extremity of the Southern Cape coastal plain and the arid spaces of the Great Karoo to the north. We recently celebrated her half century on a relatively new 50000 Ha nature reserve that straddles the land between Montagu , her hometown, and Barrydale. It’s called Sanbona Wildlife Reserve and it represents a grand experiment in restoring big game to these ancient landscapes where they roamed until colonials wiped them out in the last 300 or so years. (more…)
Battle of Kruger goes mainstream November 9, 2008
Posted by Ralph Pina in : Animals, Safari, Tourism, ecotourism , add a comment
National Geographic Wild channel is currently screening a documentary, Battle of Kruger: Caught on Safari about one of the most amazing viral videos ever shot. The amateur video (see below) tells the story of a herd of buffalo who rescue a calf first from the jaws of lions, and then from a crocodile, and then exact revenge on their ancient enemies. The video was made by tourists on safari in the Kruger National Park in 2007, and has racked up 35 million views, and still counting.
Malawi energy September 8, 2008
Posted by Ralph Pina in : Climate Change, Community, Energy, Sustainability , 2comments
“Development” is the predominant industry in Lilongwe. A veritable alphabet soup of NGO and aid agency acronyms adorn the doors of the many Japanese 4×4’s that congest the streets of the city - USAID, FAO, UNDP, TLC, SARRNET, ASNAPP, ICRISAT, IITA, FANRPAN, CIAT, NASFAM, etc. The hotels and guest houses mainly service the mobile populations of development professionals, conference-goers and workshop attendees. For a fascinating week I was privileged to be one of the latter, a member of a South African university IT team involved in a project in support of the development of tropical agriculture.
Deforested slopes under cultivation
Malawian island idyll September 5, 2008
Posted by Ralph Pina in : Safari, Tourism, ecotourism , 1 comment so far
Mumbo Island is one of the great places in Africa. Imagine a tropical
island surrounded by warm, clear water and freshwater, tropical fish. The island is but a jumble of granite crowned by dry woodland including baobabs, pod mahogany and rock figs, and barely a kilometre in diameter.
I preceded a week’s work in Lilongwe with a weekend on Mumbo, a place I have always wanted to visit since meeting Kayak Africa’s owners some twelve years ago. Kayak Africa runs island getaways and kayaking and diving activities on Mumbo and Domwe Islands in the Lake Malawi National Park.
More… including Google Earth kayak and walking track
Kruger and climate change August 2, 2008
Posted by Ralph Pina in : Animals, Climate Change , 2comments
The IPCC’s technical paper on Climate Change and Water (pdf), published in June, features some dire numbers for South Africa’s premier national park, the Kruger National Park. Should the global mean temperature exceed 1990 levels by 2.5 to 3 oC, then 66% of its animal species may be lost. Similary, the Cape’s fynbos biome, a biodiversity hotspot, large tracts of which were recently declared a World Heritage Site, is projected to shrink by up to 61%. It is almost beyond my ability to imagine destruction of biodiversity on such a scale in places that I know well and are part of who I am.
