Challenges & Issues in African Nature Conservation and Sustainable Development
BIO 195 / ANTH 196 3 credits
Monday-Thursday, 9–11:30 AM
18 May - 12 Jun 2009,
367 Votey Hall
 Pouring Libation at
the
Entrance to the Sacred Grove
Photo: © J. Decher 1991 |
This
interdisciplinary course is about the interface of conservation and
sustainable, or community development in Africa. We will discuss past and present biocentric and more anthropocentric approaches to conservation and their successes and failures in Africa, and the divergence between objectives of large international conservation organizations and local needs. What does it means to protect nature for people who face constant economic and educational constraints, or outright poverty? There will be at least one guest speaker from a conservation or development project in Africa. This course was originally intended to prepare students for a future Faculty-led Program Abroad to West Africa. I am currently looking into the possibilty of visiting conservation & development sites in Sierra Leone with a small group of students. |
Topics: Serengeti shall not
Die - The preservationists approach • Making Wildlife pay for itself:
game ranching, game tourism etc. • The anthropocentric approach: IUCN’s
World Conservation Strategy and Caring for the Earth • The
Bushmeat Crisis: hunter’s luxury or essential protein source? •
Community-based Conservation • Sacred Groves: Indigenous Forest
Protection • Mining and Conservation in West Africa: uneasy alliances •
Conservation and Globalization • Faith-based Conservation &
Development: A Rocha Kenya & Ghana • Wildlife and Ecotourism in
Africa • Conservation and Climate Change in Africa • Biodiversity
Monitoring
Tentative Syllabus