Abstract
A Quick Assessment Tool for Wildlife Monitoring on Community Rangelands Track: Ecology and Conservation Author(s): Lucy Chege-Waruingi Monitoring of wildlife and their habitats is key to developing sound techniques and strategies for the conservation of biodiversity and sustainable use of a peoples' natural resources. Over the years, the collection and compilation of monitoring data have been the priority of scientists and field biologists. In Kenya, more than 75 percent of our wildlife is in community-owned rangelands where there is insufficient government personnel to collect regular biodiversity information. GIS can provide a more cost-effective alternative for building local capacity by making the development and applications of GIS a participatory process. This paper exposes efforts to develop a GIS-based assessment tool for determining areas suitable and viable for wildlife monitoring by unschooled community game scouts in areas of important biological diversity. Here, like in Zambia, community game scouts are being engaged in the process of protecting their environment and in keeping track of what is in their environment. Lucy Chege-Waruingi African Conservation Centre GIS P O Box 62844 Nairobi , null 00200 KE Phone: 254-20-891360 Fax: 254-20-891751 E-mail: lucy.waruingi@acc.or.ke |
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