the richtersveld cultural and botanical landscape - SAHRA

Richtersveld Cultural and Botanical Landscape World Heritage Site Nomination 139
Some specific training and capacity building exercises which have taken place for
Conservancy management and members of the community include (d):
Protected Area Management
The Conservancy Management has undertaken several trainings to build capacity
in Protected Area Management. Several members have experience with South
African National Parks (SANParks) in administration and management. Additionally,
the administrative capacity of the Conservancy has been built through professional
bookkeeping and accounting courses in Cape Town. In 2005, the Conservancy
Manager and Administrative Officer undertook an exchange with SANParks to
Cape Peninsula National Park and West Coast National Park to strengthen skills in
Protected Area Management and conservation of sensitive floral ecosystems. The
focus was to bring the skills that have been used in the Fynbos Biodiversity Hotspot
and Cape Floral Region World Heritage Site to the Conservancy as part of the
Succulent Karoo Biodiversity Hotspot. Additional training courses have been held
by SANParks from the Richtersveld National Park for various members of the
community in the Conservancy.
The Conservancy Management also undertakes regular visits to southern Namibia
to develop cultural linkages between similar protected areas in the Greater !Gariep
TFCA, such as //Gamaseb Communal Conservancy. These visits also enable the
Conservancy Management to visit and learn from other commercial and communal
conservancies and national parks.
The Conservancy staff also benefit regularly from on-hand expertise of and training
from the Richtersveld CBNRM Programme, located in Eksteenfontein on the border
of the Conservancy. The CBNRM Programme serves a vital role in the Richtersveld
and builds capacity in conservation, development. Another useful nongovernmental
organisation, International Knowledge Management (IKM) also
serves as a vast technical resource for capacity building of the Conservancy
Management. Please refer to the Section 5.G (Sources of Expertise) for more
information.