A one health assessment of a “Herding for Health” project at the wildlife-livestock interface in western Ngamiland, Botswana

Abstract

This PhD thesis titled, ‘A One Health assessment of a Herding for Health project at the wildlife-livestock interface in western Ngamiland, Botswana’, analyzed data collected from an applied Herding for Health (H4H) project implemented in western Ngamiland, Botswana. The H4H model was first established at the Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases at the University of Pretoria to apply One Health principles that acknowledge the interconnectedness of human, animal and ecosystem health. The model aims to assist agropastoral communities in the transfrontier conservation areas (TFCAs) of southern Africa with the dual objectives of poverty eradication and biodiversity conservation. A mixed-methods approach was used to investigate some of the key assumptions of the H4H model. The thesis is comprised of five chapters: Chapter 1, an introduction to the H4H model and a literary review of the methodology of subsequent chapters; Chapter 2, ‘One Health profile and farmer’s perceived risk analysis for an agropastoral community in the Khaudum-Ngamiland Wildlife Dispersal Area of the Kavango–Zambezi TFCA’, that used a qualitative and quantitative survey approach to investigate community sentiments on animal and rangeland health, regional constraints to livestock husbandry and human-wildlife conflict; Chapter 3, ‘An environmental template and drivers of functional heterogeneity in communal rangelands of the western Okavango Delta’, which used community survey and rangeland sampling techniques to explore how H4H can address the piospheric nature of rangeland degradation; Chapter 4, ‘Husbandry and Herding: a community-based approach to address illegal wildlife trade’, which used a Theory of Change approach developed with input from relevant stakeholders to guide how H4H could address the current trend of diminishing wildlife populations around the Okavango Delta and Chapter 5, ‘Conclusions’, which summarizes the major findings of the dissertation and provides recommendations for H4H project interventions and for further research. Some of the key results from this thesis illustrate the importance of cattle rearing in western Ngamiland, Botswana which was the main source of household income for 97% of respondents. While most residents were satisfied with the advice supplied by local veterinary extension services, animal diseases continue to be a major challenge to farming, surpassed only by the related factor of constraints to market access due to Foot and Mouth Disease control policies. While diseases account for 7.7% of total cattle losses, the greater loss reported is due to straying animals which account for 60.3% of total losses whereas predation accounts for 22.9%. The herding and kraaling activities promoted by H4H are ideal interventions to address losses to disease, livestock-wildlife conflict as well as stray animals. Stray cattle are a likely threat to animal disease control and may explain regional FMD outbreaks outside of buffalo (Syncerus caffer) ranges, which is a topic outlined for further research. The potential for planned grazing and kraaling to address rangeland health is exemplified in the environmental template which demonstrates higher wildlife utilization in abandoned kraal sites and the effect that high-density grazing has on rangeland species composition including functional attributes such as stem height, tuft basal width, the distance between tufts and grass abundance which are significantly influenced along the grazing gradient. Lastly, the H4H Theory of Change identifies three pathways based on community-level actions to address illegal wildlife trade in the region which include: increasing institutions for local enforcement, developing incentives for ecosystem stewardship and decreasing the costs of living alongside wildlife. The success of the pathways depends on underlying enabling actions related to supporting the development of institutional frameworks, building community capacity and strengthening a Conservation Agreement model to facilitate informed best farming practices targeted to increase community and ecosystem resilience to economic shocks.