Management of communal rangelands - the dialogue between science and indigenous knowledge: the case of the Eastern Cape

Abstract

Communal area rangeland resource users are an important part of the rangeland ecosystem; rangeland management policies and practice should, therefore, accommodate their socio-cultural practices and knowledge. Indigenous knowledge (IK) is often overlooked in range management research and policy. IK is linked with the livelihoods, always produced in dynamic interactions among humans and nature. Current rangeland management systems are important in informing policy but implementation of such findings can be hampered by the cultural and political frames around them. A communal range management project was started in 2006 to examine the role of different stakeholders in the development of strategies for the management of rangelands in the communal areas of the Eastern Cape. This case study identifies the different ways in which scientists and resource users perceive communal rangelands with the view of developing guidelines for the management of grazing areas in the Eastern Cape Province and to inform the process of national policy refinement