By Cliford Nxumalo – Project Research Assistance/Researcher
On 20 November, we celebrated Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Day. The day before, on 19 November 2024, we held an online workshop with the Southern African Chapter of Geographic Information Systems (SASCGIS) titled “GIS and Conservation Efforts in the Kavango Zambezi (KAZA) Transfrontier Conservation Area.” The webinar aimed to support the outcomes of the recent KAZA summit by fostering stronger partnerships and enhancing our collective capabilities in geospatial analysis and conservation. By integrating advanced GIS techniques and collaborative strategies, we can address key priorities such as sustainable land-use planning and effective human-wildlife conflict management.
The event featured various speakers, including Kent Burger, Prof. Willem van Riet, Dr. Russell Taylor, Craig Beech, Verosha Naidoo, Dr. Mervyn Lotter, and Graham McCulloch. Graham McCulloch, the director of Ecoexist, presented on managing human-wildlife conflict using GIS, focusing on 15 years of efforts to foster coexistence between people and elephants in the Okavango Delta, Botswana. Their mission is to support the lives and livelihoods of people living with elephants while considering the needs of the elephants.
The discussion highlighted the threat of human encroachment and how conservation has evolved from managing habitats in reserves to managing land use across landscapes using various GIS techniques, such as aerial imagery, to identify and monitor land-use changes. GIS is a powerful tool for conservation planning, and this talk highlighted its importance in identifying threats to conservation needs.
Verosha Naidoo from ESRI (Environmental Systems Research Institute) also discussed how ESRI supports organisations through licenses. The College is fortunate to receive a conservation programme grant from ESRI, which will provide licenses until 2030. We use ESRI’s conservation solutions to collect data on animal sightings around campus and incorporate these solutions into our GIS and data collection training. We have connected with international and national students from provincial and national parks, American universities, and students from Saudi Arabia. We are grateful to the ESRI Conservation Programme for their support with licenses.