Final Evaluation of the - UNEP

2. To support community-led rehabilitation of degraded rangelands related to pastoralism.
3. To develop sustainable management systems where indigenous knowledge is supported by
modern concepts of range management.
32. The achievement of localized project-funded successes on the ground is not of major
importance. The key to success at the end of the project is whether other communities in
similar ecosystems could adopt and replicate these methods without similar large injections of
cash. The answer is no. If USD15 million failed to have a major impact on localized
community management of rangelands, the chances of other communities being able to
manage their range sustainably are low. The assessment of project results suggests that the
objective above was not achieved and is unlikely to be achieved without more time and more
funding. The project has of course led to some positive consequences, the most important
being community awareness raising, a modest degree of community empowerment
particularly concerning NRM, and limited range rehabilitation activities. Overall, the FE
echoes the MTE but elaborates with the following observations:
33. The word “model” is academic and essentially meaningless to most people or at least has
connotations of mathematical or computer models. ‘Methods’, ‘systems’ or even
‘methodologies’ might have been preferable. It is unrealistic to expect pastoralists and
communities in ASALs to be interested in biodiversity conservation per se unless they can
derive added value from that biodiversity (e.g. Hoodia, marula or Gum Arabic). The type of
biodiversity should be specified viz. indigenous plants or, more specifically, range vegetation
of use to communities. In degraded rangelands, invasive plants (including indigenous ones)
can take hold, for example when bush invasion follows the banning of controlled burning, or
when overgrazing causes unpalatable species to thrive. No clear distinction was made in the
PD between indigenous plant species that should be encouraged (e.g. the highly-prized
Umbrella Thorn, [Acacia tortilis]) and invasive native species of low palatability and low
digestibility that can reduce rangeland productivity (e.g. Acacia reficiens)1.
1 The African acacias are no longer in the Australian genus Acacia and have been re-classified into other genera
such as Faidherbia, Vachellia, Senegalia etc. For simplicity, the old generic name will be used.
17