Exploring cultural values of African wetlands for sustainable conservation: Okavango Delta World Heritage Site, Botswana
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Purpose – This study applied the Heritage Place Lab (HPL) research-practice teams methodology to identify missing cultural values and/or oversubscribed natural values and assess impacts on sustainable conservation of the Okavango Delta World Heritage Site. The authors found that cultural elements are often overlooked owing to limited inputs from trans-disciplinary and cross-stakeholder perspectives to conservation. This may explain why the majority of African sites on the List of World Heritage in Danger are of “natural” designations, as an absence of cultural values is linked to the exclusion of people and, therefore, gives rise to conflicts of access and use. Design/methodology/approach – World Heritage Site statistics, published and non-published documents/literature, site maps, site registers, consultancy reports and archival materials were used to assess whether existing as well as potential natural and cultural site values were considered for the contemporary management of the Okavango Delta site in a way that leads to a sustainable conservation approach. The composition of theresearch-practice team as suggested by the HPL methodology constituted a ready-made diverse team ofacademics, policy makers and community members that could apply its diverse expertise to fully assesswhether all values necessary for a sustainable conservation approach are accounted for.Findings – Using expertise of trans-disciplinary team populated during the HPL, the authors found thatcultural values of the OD-WHS are not highlighted in the OUVs dossier but are significantly expressed on siteby locals, leading to potential conflicts of conservation. The research alerts conservationists to embrace anapproach that includes all values on the site in order move towards sustainable conservation.Research limitations/implications – More research that require funding is needed to cover a wider area ofthe site, as well as enable work in adjoining countries to compare experiences per country - The Okavangowaterbody starts in Angola and go through Namibia, and finally to Botswana.Practical implications – Conservation indicators of African nature world heritage sites constitute of, andborder on, diverse stakeholders. An all-encompassing approach such as the Heritage Place Lab(HPL) methodology approach always needs to be factored in.Social implications – Including cultural aspects of world heritage sites designated as ‘natural’ is importantto allow for socio-cultural inclusion in conservation management. This allows for local communities to becomevisible and active participants in the management of the site as they contribute their socio-cultural qualities tolandscape conservation and management, a process that has potential to enhance sustainable conservation ofthe Okavango Delta site landscape, as well as other wetlands across the world.
