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The Wilderness Action Group had the pleasure of sending Members Drummond Densham and Ilan Lax to the 9th World Wilderness Congress. They have produced a report that gives an account of the activities during their visit to Mexico and to make some observations for wilderness conservation in South Africa.
Executive Summary
The Wilderness Action Group (“WAG or the Group”) was well represented at the 9th World Wilderness Congress (“WILD9”) in Merida, Mexico. Ilan Lax, the Chairman, and Drummond Densham, together with Bheki Khoza, John Crowson and Sonja Krüger who represented Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife (“EKZNW”) but who are also members the Group, attended the Congress.
Mexican wilderness management module
Drummond Densham accepted an invitation to present a three-day wilderness management module (Operating and overseeing wilderness conservation programmes) as part of the National Institute of Ecology’s conservation diploma programme [Diplomados en Conservación de Vida Silvestre y Ecosistemas, (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service – Instituto Nacional de Ecología - Unidos para la Conservación)] in the last week of October 2009. The programme was held at the Recuedobiological station in the Reserva de la Biosfera, in the Sierra de Huautla some three hours drive south of Mexico City in the State of Morelos.
The module covered the wilderness concept, (the what and why of wilderness?), wilderness stewardship (planning and management principles), the need to build supportive constituencies and public participation and the challenges and opportunities facing wilderness in Mexico and globally. The lectures were given in English and interpreted into Spanish by two very competent Mexican
Interpreters.
There were 21 students from around Mexico on the programme and they found the module interesting and useful as Mexico has made some significant progress in wilderness conservation since the designation of their first wilderness area, the El Carmen Wilderness Area, at the 8th World Wilderness Congress in Alaska in 2005.
WILD9 wilderness management seminar
Ilan Lax and Drummond Densham joined three United States Forest Service staff to form an international wilderness management training team in Merida to present a three-day pre-WILD9 wilderness management seminar. 21 participants from different backgrounds and different countries around the world attended. This was the third such pre-Congress training programme and was a great success.
Global Wilderness Forum for Government Agencies
Ilan Lax and Drummond Densham (together with many seminar participants) attend the two-day Global Wilderness Forum for Government Agency staff. Day one comprised a field trip to the Celestun Biosphere Reserve on the Gulf of Mexico was hosted by Comisión Nacional de Areas Naturales Protegidas (Commission of Protected Natural Areas), (“CONANP”) that oversees the administration and management of Mexico’s protected and wilderness area system. The delegates were shown a number of programmes and projects being developed or in progress in the Biosphere. Day two was a facilitated workshop to discuss and share wilderness policy and practical issues of common interest.
The Forum was started at the 8th World Wilderness Congress in Alaska. It provides the opportunity for government staff members and other related parties involved in protected area, natural resource management and wilderness protection programmes to meet and discuss aspects of wilderness conservation with people from different countries. One of the Forum’s objectives is that the members continue (post-Congress) to interact with each other on specific issues relating to wilderness conservation. Bheki Khoza, John Crowson and Sonja Krüger also attended the Forum giving valuable input into the discussions.
9th World Wilderness Congress
The 9th World Wilderness Congress (WILD9) was held from 6th – 13th November 2009 with some 1500 delegates attending the proceedings. The Congress was planned and held despite the downturn in the global economy and was in itself a feat that the WILD Foundation can be very proud of. As with all the previous Congresses, there was so much information being disseminated and discussed that it was difficult to take it all in. It was wonderful to meet old colleagues, make new friends and to share what we are all doing for wilderness in our respective areas.
WILD9 was arranged in two parts: the World Wilderness Forum was held over the first three days with keynote speakers, including Heads of Government and Ministers, leading professionals and managers in wilderness conservation; and the Wilderness Working Sessions over the next five days with a central focus was on wilderness and climate change. The following broad themes (amongst many others) give an idea of the range topics that were covered:
- Role of wilderness in protecting biodiversity, ecosystem processes and services and in
- mitigating the impacts of climate change;
- Wilderness’ role in connecting and integrating biodiversity and ecosystems between
- protected areas and across regional and international boundaries;
- The emerging relevance of marine wilderness;
- Communicating the importance of wilderness;
- Corporate commitments to wilderness conservation;
- Engaging the youth and young professionals in wilderness conservation;
- Global marine wilderness areas;
- Payments for ecosystem services;
- Conservation heroes and hope for our world;
- Connectivity in the Americas, and;
- Role of private finance and philanthropy.
It was the first Congress that Dr Ian Player could not attend but he was able to address the delegates on the first day by a video presentation. Although he was not present his spirit was felt. WILD9 gave a very important platform for indigenous peoples to meet and contribute to the discussions on wilderness. Young people and professionals also had a place in the Congress. The International League of Conservation Photographers played a huge part in the Congress with the large numbers of spectacular photographs and videos bringing visual images of the amazing places and changes around the world.
On the opening evening the President of Mexico, Felipe Calderón Hinojosa, and the Governor ofthe State of Yucatan, Ivonne Ortego Pacheco, addressed the delegates. The President announced the creation of the Mesoamerican Biodiversity Corridor, with Mexico working with the other Central American countries for the conservation and sustainable utilisation of the natural resources of the region. He also announced the designation of new wilderness areas and the expansion of existing ones between Mexico and the USA. The Governor of the State of Yucatan announced the creation of a state protected area and mangrove swamp on the north coast of the Yucatan to protect wild areas that is of great biodiversity and environmental importance and value.
During the World Wilderness Forum the three North American countries, Mexico, the USA and Canada signed an international Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation for Wilderness Conservation. A second Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the WILD Foundation and corporate organisations to save wilderness.
An International League of Conservation Writers was launched for the first time. Dr Ian McCallum from Cape Town received the WILD Writers award.
Bheki Khoza and Drummond Densham addressed the delegates on the declaration and celebration of 50 years of wilderness conservation in South Africa.
Ilan Lax chaired the Congress Resolutions Committee with members from around the world. Some 44 resolutions were processed and adopted by the delegates. Ilan Lax also presented an overview of Wilderness Law and Policy in South Africa at the Law and Policy workshop hosted to assist Mexicans to develop their own approaches to these matters.
Observations and implications for wilderness conservation in South Africa. The following are some of the issues (in no order of priority) arising out of WILD9 that have particular relevance for South Africa, especially after celebrated 50 years of wilderness conservation:
- The important role of wilderness in protecting indigenous biodiversity, ecosystem processes
- and services and in mitigating the impacts of climate change;
- Wilderness’ role in connecting and integrating biodiversity and ecosystems between
- protected areas and across regional and international boundaries;
- The emerging relevance of marine wilderness;
- Communicating the importance and relevance of wilderness to all South Africans; and
- Engaging indigenous people, young people and young professionals to hear their views on
- wilderness (and biodiversity) conservation.
Conclusion:
The wilderness management training sessions, the Global Wilderness Forum and the Congress were very valuable experiences. It was wonderful to hear the latest thinking on global and regional approaches to wilderness conservation and to be part of the discussions in the various sessions. The highlights of the trip for us were the places of interest in Mexico we were able to visit and people we had the opportunity to meet and interact with. These all gave us new insights into wilderness conservation and the management approaches being implemented. This has broadened our understanding of wilderness issues which will influence WAG’s future wilderness training programmes.
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