RT04: Establishment and development of bird reserves in developing countries

Habitat loss and degradation are the main causes of species decline. This is especially the case in the developing countries, due to their economic environment, forest cutting, agriculture and other human activities that destroy and fragment bird habitats. It is important to set up nature reserves or other protected areas for bird conservation, however, we are facing some problems in the establishment and development of the reserves. Most bird reserves are in remote and poor areas. Local people use the natural resources for survival, so the establishment of the reserve may create serious conflict between the local people and the reserve managers. How do we solve this problem and how do we achieve co-ordinated development between the nature reserves and local people?

The session began with a short presentation from Li Feng-Shan aimed at these problems. His speech dealt with their conservation work on the winter habitat of Black-necked Crane Grus nigricollis at the Cao Hai Nature Reserve in Guizhou province, southwestern China. The reserve is located in a mountainous area, with 20000 extremely poor people dependent on farming. This project, which started in 1992, was to link conservation with community development, providing financial and technical help to villagers in creating alternatives for economic development while safeguarding or enhancing the natural resources of Cao Hai and its watershed. Small grants were provided to the local farmers, helping them to establish businesses. Community Trust Funds were also established for long-term support of development efforts. Up to now, this project has succeeded in involving local communities in conservation of natural resources of Cao Hai and its watershed and local communities have become active partners in the reserve.

The participants suggested that education is important, however, the more important thing is to make the local people feel partial ownership of the natural resources, and that they could benefit from the reserves.

Professor Pilai from Thailand introduced her work on hornbill conservation, which provided a successful example on this matter. Hornbills are an endangered species in Thailand and habitat loss and hunting were two main contributing factors. During the hornbill conservation project, hunters were hired to show people about hornbill life (their income was more than they got from hunting). They were also paid to stop collecting chicks. Groups of villagers lead bird watching trips for city people. This made local villagers realise that their forest provided revenue, and they started to stop illegal logging.

There are also some other examples. In China, researchers paid money to local people to look for the nests of birds for their research. In Africa, the number of Blue Crane declined dramatically in the past, the reason may be that the cranes mainly fed in the crop fields, which caused hostility from local farmers. Researchers paid money to the local farmers to count the birds, making farmers benefit from the birds. This method resulted in an increase in crane numbers. African researchers introduced their experiences of religious concepts helping wildlife conservation. In China, wildlife conservationists applied this method in Tibet.

It is suggested that scientists not only do research in the reserves, but also help the reserve management. In China and some developing countries, the reserve holders get little or no funding from the national treasury for maintaining and stimulating development. The session also tackled the question as to how to use reserves without doing harm to the natural resources. One way is to build a good connection between city people and local people. In Thailand, the researchers let city people adopt the hornbill chicks, go to the reserve to see the birds nesting, and donate money for the hornbill projects. They also used ‘famous people’s affection’ for bird conservation, and proposed the hornbill as the ‘Provincal Bird’ and so raising public awareness. Publicity is important, either on TV, broadcasting or newspapers. One thing researchers should keep in mind is not to disturb the birds too much.

In developing countries, some reserves were designed to protect single or several important species. In Sichuan province in China, there are many reserves set up for the Giant Panda. However, normally it is not so easy to establish a reserve for birds. Dr. Simon Dowell, who has been worked on Sichuan Hill-partridge in Sichuan for three years, is engaged in establishing a reserve for this extremely endangered species, but has not yet succeeded. This bird is closely related to the primary forest, which has seriously contracted in past years. Fortunately, probably because of the rarely seen heavy flood this summer, the Chinese government stopped all cutting activities on the primary forest in Sichuan, Gansu and other provinces this year.

Professor Xu Wei-Shu from China introduced the natural reserves in China. The growth of protected areas in China over the past 20 years has been both spectacular and encouraging. There are currently over 700 reserves, totalling more than 6% of the total national land area. The reserves in China are classified into three types, national, provincial and local reserves. As to stages to legally establish a new reserve in China, Xu said sometimes a flagship species had important effects. Professor Pilai’s experience showed that to find a flagship species is good for the conservation of the whole ecosystem. Her idea was: ‘Protect the hornbill ® Protect the forest ® Protect other species ® Protect the whole fauna and flora’.

As to how the surrounding landscape affects natural reserves, people reached the conclusion that buffer zone and corridors are important for the management of the reserves.

The session attracted many delegates, including researchers from developing and developed countries who concluded that much work was needed in bird conservation in the developing countries, and international co-operation and exchange are important.