Contested conservation : past and present conservation praxis in the Great Lakes region of Africa

Abstract

Includes bibliographical references.Describing the history of Semuliki National Park from the late 19th century till the presentday, this study elucidates the origins of conservation in the Great Lakes Region of Africa.Using post-colonial and border studies as a theoretical framework, and using a combination of archival and qualitative data, the study questions how and why conservation praxis and policy has changed since the colonial era. The research presented here reveals that the conservation status of Semuliki Forest, as a forest estate on the Uganda - Congo border (and originally administered by the Uganda Forest Department) arose primarily because of geographical and logistical impediments that hindered commercial exploitation, and secondly in recognition of the unique ecological phenomena that occur within the protected area. However, over time, the physical boundaries of the forest were successfully contested by local inhabitants to accommodate population growth and increased agricultural production. The study reveals the flexible nature of the borders of Semuliki National Park (both national and international) and describes how these borders were constructed and subsequently challenged. It also reveals the enduring legacy of colonial border-making in that current conservationstratagems in the region (exemplified by Transboundary Natural Resource Management) aim to find ways of addressing conservation imperatives at locations such as Semuliki where important ecological areas are naturally contiguous but divided by international borders