As human population pressures and conservation
incompatible land uses escalate, more and more
protected
area managers around the world are recognising
that protectionist approaches – often referred to as
“fines and
fences” methods - are not on their
own sufficient to ensure the long-term conservation of a protected
area’s
natural resources. Building a strong partnership
with and support from the community is now recognised
as
an essential dimension of protected area
management, for the simple reason that having friends and
supporters
rather than enemies as your neighbours is a much
more effective and efficient way to secure the future
of
the area. In the case of the MMNR, this is
especially important because, as explained above, the Reserve
is
exceptional in that it has come about as a result
of the traditional land use practices of the Maasai
community,
and it makes good sense to harness these cultural
values in support of both the MMNR’s management
and
conservation needs.
However, the MMNR covers only a small part of a
much larger and interconnected ecosystem, the vast
majority
of which is on privately owned land. These areas
are not only ecologically linked, primarily
through
the seasonal movements of wildlife, but are also
highly economically interdependent. Human
populations
and the intensity of land use pressures in areas
around the MMNR are steadily increasing, and, as a result,
the
future of both communities inhabiting these areas
and the conservation of the MMNR are becoming
increasingly
interconnected. For all these reasons, the
strengthening of collaboration and partnership between
the
MMNR and its neighbours in achieving mutually
compatible conservation and livelihood goals is an
important
prerogative of this programme, and reoccurs as a
theme throughout all the programme’s objectives
and
management actions.
