Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Foreword
- Contents
- List of figures
- List of tables
- List of boxes
- About the authors and contributors
- List of reviewers
- Acronyms and abbreviations
- Preface
- Summary for policymakers
- Chapter 1 The elephant in South Africa: history and distribution
- Chapter 2 Elephant population biology and ecology
- Chapter 3 Effects of elephants on ecosystems and biodiversity
- Chapter 4 Interactions between elephants and people
- Chapter 5 Elephant translocation
- Chapter 6 Reproductive control of elephants
- Chapter 7 Controlling the distribution of elephants
- Chapter 8 Lethal management of elephants
- Chapter 9 Ethical considerations in elephant management
- Chapter 10 The economic value of elephants
- Chapter 11 National and international law
- Chapter 12 Towards integrated decision making for elephant management
- Glossary
- Index
Chapter 12 - Towards integrated decision making for elephant management
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 04 June 2019
- Frontmatter
- Foreword
- Contents
- List of figures
- List of tables
- List of boxes
- About the authors and contributors
- List of reviewers
- Acronyms and abbreviations
- Preface
- Summary for policymakers
- Chapter 1 The elephant in South Africa: history and distribution
- Chapter 2 Elephant population biology and ecology
- Chapter 3 Effects of elephants on ecosystems and biodiversity
- Chapter 4 Interactions between elephants and people
- Chapter 5 Elephant translocation
- Chapter 6 Reproductive control of elephants
- Chapter 7 Controlling the distribution of elephants
- Chapter 8 Lethal management of elephants
- Chapter 9 Ethical considerations in elephant management
- Chapter 10 The economic value of elephants
- Chapter 11 National and international law
- Chapter 12 Towards integrated decision making for elephant management
- Glossary
- Index
Summary
In answer to the question ‘Is containment of a population eruption desirable?’ Graeme Caughley replied ‘This is not a scientific question. I can boast of no qualifications that would make my opinion any more valuable than those of my two immediate neighbours, a garage mechanic on the one hand and an Air Vice-Marshall on the other.’ (Caughley, 1981)
INTENTION AND APPROACH
THIS CHAPTER draws on material from previous chapters and builds linkages among them. We supply some theoretical background that may help explain the consequences of various approaches to the ‘elephant problem’ as currently framed, a ‘problem’ which has arisen in conjunction with the growth of human settlements and activities across the landscape. We construct and discuss an integrative framework, and then summarise and synthesise the main points from the contents of Chapters 1–11 into this framework.
Using the above analysis, we then suggest how decision makers might most usefully approach and formulate elephant issues. We present a range of options for particular circumstances, at the level of societal influences, strategy and practical implementation, and the integration of these three. Finally we list what we see after the assessment as important gaps, and conclude.
MAKING COMPLEX ISSUES TRACTABLE
One underlying reason why the ‘elephant problem’ appears so intractable is that it is complex (Chapter 1). This affects decision making. Kinnaman & Bleich (2004) describe a range of responses, from toleration through to full collaborative behaviour, where there are different combinations of agreement and certainty (figure 1). The elephant issue clearly falls into the zone of complexity. Therefore it should not come as a surprise that reductionist ‘command-and-control’ policies (Chapter 1) have not succeeded. Even if they had been correct in assessing the biodiversity outcomes as simple and predictable (and there is serious doubt that this is the case (Chapter 3)), there is no doubt that the associated social responses (Chapter 4; Chapter 9), and hence the problem as a whole, are complex. Some even feel it is a ‘wicked problem’ (Conklin, 2006), insoluble because of ever-shifting goalposts.
Forming collaborative partnerships is central to the resolution of such issues. Figure 1 suggests that the predominantly unilateral management of elephant in the past operated in the command-and-control domain, and was therefore unlikely to lead to lasting solutions of any kind (Chapter 1).
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Elephant ManagementA Scientific Assessment for South Africa, pp. 537 - 586Publisher: Wits University PressPrint publication year: 2008