Chawarura community use of Mavuradonha wilderness: a preliminary assessment of results from a survey of herdsmen

Abstract

The research reported in this paper was stimulated by the author's experience as a participant in an exercise aimed at assessing community reaction to a proposal to place a cattle exclusion fence along the boundary of the Mavuradonha Wilderness Area (MWA) adjacent to Chawarura Ward in Muzarabani (now Centenary) District, [Matzke, et. al., 1993] It was clear from that exercise that there were few data to document either the extent of community use of the MWA, or the environmental consequences of that use. It was also equally clear that the people of Chawarura Ward were unwilling to accept any proposed fence without provisions for continued community access. In light of this, the author undertook an exercise to generate data which might be useful to the parties considering the placement of a fence and related issues.